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CONTENTS. 


PART  THE  FIRST. 

flAPTER  PAOa 

I.  Of  the  family  and  education  of  Don  Cherubin — After 
the  death  of  his  father  he  goes  to  live  with  one  of  his 
relations — His  progress  in  his  studies — He  travels  to 
Madrid,  where  he  becomes  acquainted  with  a  priest 
— The  remarks  which  the  priest  makes  on  the  em- 
ployment in  which  Don  Cherubin  wishes  to  engage .  I 

II.  Of  the  first  house  in  which  Don  Cherubin  became  a 
tutor — Description  of  the  children  whom  he  had  to 
instruct — Imprudence  of  a  father      ....  7 

III.  Don  Cherubin  offers  his  services  to  a  member  of  the 

Council  of  Castile — Of  the  extraordinary  interview 
which  he  had  with  that  dignitary — His  reply  to  him, 
and  what  he  did      .......         10 

IV.  Father  Thomas  places  the  Bachelor  at  the  house  of  the 

Marquii  of  Buendia — Charj.cter  of  the  pupil  he  has 

to  instruct—  He  leaves  the  house — The  reason  .         13 

V.  The  Bachelor  of  Salamanca  becomes  preceptor  to  the 
son  of  a  Contador — His  joy  at  getting  into  so  good 
a  house — He  is  paid  in  advance — He  becomes  en- 
amoured of  a  young  servant  maid — His  rival  gets 
him  dismissed  .......         18 

VI:  What  happened  to  the  Bachelor  on  quitting  the  house 
of  the  Contador — J  lis  reflections  on  his  conduct — 
He  is  introduced  by  his  host  into  the  house  of  a 
widow— Character  of  the  lady— Don  Cherubin  be- 
comes her  steward — Regard  which  the  widow  con- 


COXTEXTS. 


ceives  for  him — Interview  with  the  Dame  Rodriguez 
— Tlie  subject  of  the  intemew,  and  what  was  the 
result  of  it 23 

VII.  How  Don  Cherubin,  on  the  point  of  becoming  the 
husband  of  Donna  Luisa,  lost  on  a  sudden  the  hope 
of  ever  being  so — He  is  carried  off  by  force — His 
terror  at  finding  himself  in  the  hands  of  bravoes^ 
Description  of  his  supper  and  company    ...         29 

VIII,  Of  Don  Cherubin's  arrival  at  Toledo,  and  of  the  first 
education  which  he  undertook — Bad  character  of  his 
pupil,  who  takes  a  dislike  to  him — How  he  comes  to 
be  dismissed •         •         •         33 

DC  Curious  conversation  which  Don  Cherubin  had  with 
one  of  his  friends,  a  Biscayan  tutor — The  advantage 
which  he  derived  from  that  conversation — He  enters 
into  the  service  of  a  Marchioness  —  That  lady's 
caprice  and  singular  love  of  romances — Don  Cheru- 
bin becomes  desperately  in  love  with  his  mistress — 
Effect  produced  by  his  love — He  quits  her  notwith- 
standing— His  reasons 39 

X.  Our  Bachelor  becomes  preceptor  to  the  nephew  of  a 
jeweller  in  Cuenca — By  his  own  exertions,  and  those 
of  Signior  Diego  Cintillo,  his  scholar  becomes  a  friar 
—He  returns  to  Madrid  ......         47 

XT-  Don  Clierubin  returns  to  Madrid,  where  he  accidentally 
meets  a  man  who  aftords  him  some  information  re- 
lative to  Donna  Luisa  de  Pad  ilia — That  lady  intro- 
duces him  into  the  service  of  the  Duke  de  Uzeda, 
in  quality  of  under  secretary — Acquaintance  which 
he  made  with  Don  Juan  de  Salzedo — That  gentle- 
man's foible — Description  of  a  ball  at  which  Don 
Cherubin  was  present — He  sets  out  for  Naples  in 
quality  of  courier  exiraordinary  to  the  Count  de 
Urenna 5' 

XII.  In  what  manner  Don  Cherubin  was  received  by  the 
Viceroy  of  Naples,  and  of  the  conversation  they  had 
together — He  receives  considerable  presents  from 
the  Duke  and  Duchess,  by  which  he  is  overwhelmed 
with  joy — He  returns  to  Madrid      .         .         t         t         58 


CONTENTS.  vii 

CHAPTER  P.\GB 

XIII.  Don  Juan  de  Telles  marries  the  daughter  of  the  Duke 

de   Uzeda — Consequence  of  this  marriage — Of  the 

new  course  taken  by  Don  Chenibin  ...        63 

XIV.  Don  Cherubin  meets  with  the  little  licentiate  Caram- 

bola — Of  his  interview  with  him — Pleasant  adven- 
ture which  happens  to  the  licentiate — What  was  the 

consequence  of  it 65 

XV.  Don  Cherubin  becomes  acquainted  with  an  amiable 
gentleman,  named  Don  Manoel  de  Pedrilla — In 
what  way  they  passed  their  time  together — Of  the 
agreeable  surprise  which  Don  Cherubin  met  with 
one  evening  while  supping  with  two  ladies       .        .         70 


PART  THE  SECOND. 

I.  Don  Ch«ubin  de  la  Ronda  goes  to  dine  with  his  sister 
— They  relate  to  each  other  what  has  occurred  since 
their  separation — History  and  gallantries  of  Donna 
Francisca         ......••         74 

IL  Donna  Francisca  presents  herself  to  the  Countess  Saint 
Agni — Of  the  gracious  reception  which  she  met  with 
from  that  lady — Character  of  the  Countess — Donna 
Francisca  inherits  a  thousand  pistoles — Her  regre:  for 
the  death  of  the  Countess — Resolution  which  she 
comes  to  in  conjunction  with  Damiana     ...         84 

III.  In  what  town  Donna  Francisca  and  Damiana  resolved 

on  settling  —  Adventures  which  occurred  to  them 
there — Attempt  to  carry  off  Donna  Francisca — The 
consequences  of  this  attempt 90 

IV.  Of  the  aew  conquests  which  Donna  Francisca  made  at 

Cordova — She  becomes  unfaithful  to  her  first  lover, 
and  follows  a  pretended  valet  of  the  Commandant's 

to  Grenada •         •         97 

V.  Who  Don  Pompeio  really  was — Of  the  sincere  acknow- 
ledgment, and  the  proposal  which  he  made  to  Donna 
Francisca,  as  soon  as  they  were  married  —  She  is 
easily  consoled  for  the  duplicity  which  her  husband 
has  practised — She  consents  to  his  pioposa]     .        *       K>7 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGI 

VI.  Donna  Francisca  joins  the  company  of  players  at 
Grenada — How  she  was  received  by  tlie  public,  and 
of  ihe  great  number  of  noblemen  who  were  captivated 
by  her  talents  and  her  charms — Her  husband  procures 
her  the  Count  of  Caniillana  for  a  lover — She  receives 
him  in  obedience  to  her  husband      ....       Ill 

VH.  Of  the  fresh  presents  which  the  Count  de  Cantillana 
made  to  Donna  Francisca — The  attendance  he  paid 
her — One  of  her  other  lovers  sends  her  as  a  present 
a  box  of  diamonds  of  great  value — She  refuses  it — 
Her  favoured  lover,  in  gratitude  for  this  refusal, 
bestows  on  her  a  magnificent  country  seat  —  In 
what  manner  this  so  tender  engagement  was  ter- 
minated .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .118 

VIII.  What  Francisca  did  after  the  departure  of  the  Count 
de  Cantillana — Her  husband  and  she  go  to  take  pos- 
ses-ion of  their  castle— Singular  adventure  which 
happens  to  her,  and  what  lover  paid  his  court  to  her       125 

IX.  Of  the  misfortune  which  happened  at  the  castle  of 
Caralla,  and  what  was  its  consequence — Donna 
Francisca  comes  to  the  resoUition  of  soing  to  Madrid 
with  Manuela,  her  theatrical  friend — They  pass  them- 
selves for  women  of  quality      .....        130 

X.  Of  the  conversation  which  Donna  Francisca  had  with 
Don  Cherubin  after  having  finished  the  recital  of  her 
history — She  proposes  that  he  should  come  and  live 
with  them — Don  Cherubin  consents  .         .         .        133 

XI.  Don  Cherubin  goes  to  lodge  with  his  sister — Of  the  new 
acquaintance  wliich  he  made,  and  of  the  extreme 
respect  which  they  entertained  for  him  when  they 
knew  him  to  be  Basilisa's  brother — Don  Andre  ob- 
tains the  friendship  of  Don  Cherubin — His  reason  for 
seeking  his  intimacy         ......       134 

XII.  Of  the  bad  success  which  Don  Cherubin  had  in  his 
attempt  to  serve  his  friend — He  leaves  his  sister's 
house,  and  does  not  see  her  again — Donna  Francisca 
marries  Don  Pedro — What  kind  of  man  he  was        .       139 


CONTENTS.  ix 


PART  THE  THIRD. 

CHAPTER  PAGB 

I.  Don  Manoel  de  Pedrilla  being  under  the  necessity  of 
going  into  the  country,  prevails  on  Don  Cherubin 
to  accompany  him — Of  their  arrival  at  Alcaraz         .       \a,2 

II.  Don  Cherubin  obtains  the  affections  of  Donna  Paula — 
Don  Ambrosio  de  Lorca  presses  Don  Manoel  to  give 
her  to  him — He  challenges  Don  Manoel  and  Don 
Cherubin — They  are  victors     .....        146 

III.  What  course  Don  Manoel  and  Don  Cherubin  adopted 

after  their  late  adventure — They  are  prosecuted  by 
thfc  <"-imily  of  Lorca,  and  obliged  to  retire  into  a 
monastery — Uncommon  portrait  of  the  superior  of  a 
convent  ........        149 

IV.  What    was    tlie   termination  of  the  affair  which  had 

placed  Don  Manoel  and  Don  Cherubin  under  the 
protection  of  Father  Teodor— Of  the  sudden  resolu- 
tion taken  by  the  former,  and  in  what  manner  it  was 
executed — He  is  present  at  an  exhortation  made  by 
one  of  the  Carmelites  to  a  dying  man — Edification 
which  Don  Cherubin  derived  from  this  pious  dis- 
course— He  declares  his  resolution  to  Don  Manoel, 
and  they  separate    .         .         .         .         .         .         .154 

V.  How,  after  six  months  of  novitiate,  the  fervour  of  Don 
Cherubin  began  to  decline — Of  his  quitting  the 
convent,  and  the  new  course  he  adopts — He  acci- 
dentally meets  with  the  licentiate  Carambola — His 
conversation  with  him — He  resolves  again  to  under- 
take the  business  of  instruction — What  prevents  him       160 

VI.  Don  Cherubin's  dream,  and  the  sudden  change  which 
took  place  in  his  fortune — Incivility  of  the  monks — 
He  becomes  a  rich  heritor — His  inclination  for 
Naicissa .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .        166 

Vn.  Don  Cherubin  repairs  to  Salamanca,  and  returns  to 
Seville  with  his  papers — He  obtains  his  brother's 
property^-Marks  of  respect  which  he  pays  to  his 
brother's  memory    .......       172 

VIII.  Don  Cherubins  meets  with  Mileno — What  he  learns 
from  him,  and  the  news  which  prevents  him  from 


CONTENTS. 


espousing  the  daughter  of  Master  Gaspard,  and 
causes  him  to  leave  Seville  as  precipitately  as  if  he 
had  been  guilty  of  some  crime  ....        175 

IX.  Don  Cherubin  returns  to  Alcaraz — In  what  state  he 

there  found  Don  Manoel  de  Pedrilla  and  his  sister 
Donna  Paula — Of  the  reception  vv'hich  they  gave 
him — His  love  for  Don  Manoel's  sister  revives  .        177 

X.  By  what   accident  Don  Cherubin  hears   news  of  his 

sister,  and  how  he  was  affected  by  it — He  marries 
Donna  Paula — Honours  which  he  receives        .         .        l8o 

XI.  With  what  gentleman  Don  Cherubin  became  ac- 
quainted, and  what  ensued— He  sets  out  with  Don 
Manoel  for  Clevillente's  country  seat— What  he  met 
with  there 182 

XII.  Of  the  journey  which  the  three  cavaliers  made  to  the 
Castle  of  Villardesaz — They  disguise  themselves  as 
pilgrims  to  get  into  the  castle — In  what  manner  they 
were  received — Singular  conversation  with  a  domestic 
of  Donna  Francisca's — Surprise  of  the  latter     .         .        187 

XIII.  Our  three  travellers  sup  with  Donna  Francisca  and 

Donna  Ismenia — Don  Cherubin  converses  privately 
with  his  sister — She  marries  her  first  lover,  Don 
Gregorio — Donna  Ismenia  also  marries  Don  Manoel 
de  Pedrilla — Don  Cherubin  and  Don  Manoel  retire 
to  the  Castle  of  Clevillente,  and  set  out  with  their 
wives  for  Alcaraz — Agreement  which  tliey  made       .       195 

XIV.  Singular  farce  at  which  Don  Cherubin  was  present — 

Serious  reflection  on  his  fortune,  and  on  that  of  his 
sister — Don  Manoel  and  he  are  robbed  by  one  of 
their  servants — They  take  another — Who  he  was — 
Surprise  of  Don  Cherubin  and  his  friend  when  they 
recognise  him  .......       200 

XV.  Tragical  history  of  Don  Carlos  and  Donna  Sophia       .       205 


CONTENTS.  xi 


PAT^T  THE  FOURTH. 

CHAPTER  PAGB 

I.  Don  Cherubin  de  la  Ronda,  fifteen  months  after  his 
marriage,  becomes  the  most  amorous  of  husbands — 
Don  Gabriel  carries  off  his  \\ife — He  pursues  her 
ravisher  in  vain— He  gives  up  the  pursuit,  and  resolves 
to  go  to  Mexico       .         .         .         .         .         .         .211 

II.  Don  Cherubin  de  la  Ronda  sails  from  Cadiz  and  arrives 
at  Vera  Cruz,  where  he  hires  mules  to  proceed  l)y 
land  to  Mexico — Of  the  curious  conversation  wliich 
he  had  on  the  first  day  of  his  journey  with  his  mule- 
teer, and  of  the  stories  which  Tobias  relates — He 
conceives  great  expectations     .....       219 

III.  Of  the  meeting  v/hich  Don  Cherubin  had  with  a  friar 
of  the  Order  of  Saint  Francis,  on  entering  the  town 
of  Xalapa — Consequence  of  this  meeting — He  sups 
with  the  Superioi  of  the  monastery — Description  of 
the  monks  whom  he  meets  with  there — After  supper 
he  plays,  wins,  and  retires  at  midnight  from  the 
monastery 226 

IV.  Of  Don  Cherubin's  arrival  at  Mexico,  and  in  what  place 
he  went  to  lodge — He  is  charmed  with  his  host's 
wife,  notwithstanding  her  blackness  .  .       231 

V.  Don  Cherubin  goes  to  see  the  palace  of  the  Viceroy — 
He  there  meets  with  Don  Juan  de  Salzedo,  who 
recognises  him^Of  the  good  reception  which  the 
Secretary  gave  him,  and  of  the  first  conversation  they 
had  together,  by  which  Don  Cherubin  was  exceed- 
ingly flattered  .......       235 

VI.  Of  the  visit  which  Don  Cherubin  made  in  the  afternoon 
to  Don  Juan  de  Salzedo.  and  of  the  second  conversa- 
tion he  had  with  him— The  result  of  it — Don  Cheru- 
bin de  la  Ronda  is  received  as  governor  of  Don 
Alexis,  son  of  the  Viceroy — Toston's  joy  at  learning 
this  agreeable  news  ......       239 

VII.  Don  Cherubin,  governor  of  Don  Alexis  de  Gelves,  only 
son  of  the  Viceroy,  pays  a  visit  to  the  Vice-Queen — 
His  conversation  with  the  t'itor  of  Don  Alexis — 
Character  of  the  latter     ......       244 


an  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PACiB 

VIII.  He  goes  out  with  his  pupil  to  the  field  called  the 
Alameda,  which  is  the  principal  promenade  at 
Mexico — Of  the  observations  he  made  there,  and 
the  extreme  astonishment  they  caused  him — Tragical 
event  of  which  he  is  witness    .....       247 

IX.  How  the  genius  of  Don  Alexis  was  brightened — Tiie 
conversation  which  Don  Cherubin  had  with  his  valet 
— Wliat  he  learns  from  his  valet  astonishes  him — 
Prudent  advice  which  he  gives  to  Toston — The  latter 
is  inclined  to  profit  by  it 250 

X.  Don  Cherubin  de  la  Ronda  rolls  in  gold  and  silver — 
He  expends  a  great  portion  in  parties  of  pleasure 
with  ladies  of  his  acquaintance — He  goes  to  see  a 
play — What  kind  of  piece  this  was,  and  the  im- 
pression it  made  upon  him       .....       254 

XI.  Of  the  greatest  embarrassment  in  which  Don  Cherubin 
ever  found  himself — In  what  manner  he  got  out  of  it 
— Salzedo  proposes  to  him  his  daughter  in  marriage 
— He  refuses  her — Surprise  of  his  friend  .         .         .       257 

XII.  History  of  Don  Andre  de  Alvarade  and  Donna  Cyn- 
thia de  la  Carrera — Don  Cherubin's  advice — Don 
Andre  approves  and  resolves  to  follow  it .         .         .       261 

XIII.  Continuation  of  the  story  of  Don  Andre  Alvarade  and 

Donna  Cynthia  de  la  Carrera — Final  success  of  Don 
Ciierubin's  advice — He  is  thanked  for  it  by  Don 
Andre 266 

XIV.  Don  Clierubin  goes  out  of  curiosity  to  hear  a  famous 

preacher,  a  father  of  the  Order  of  Saint  Dominic — 
Who  this  monk  was— His  surprise  at  recognisin|^ 
him,  and  the  interview  he  had  with  him  .         «        *       27 1 


PA/?T    THE  FIFTH. 

I.  The  licentiate  Carambola  begins  the  history  of  his 
voyage  to  tl>e  West  Indies — He  meets  with  one  of 
his  college  companions — Who  he  was — He  resolves 
to  follow  him,  and  becomes  a  friar  ...         *       275 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

UAPTER  PAGB 

II.  The  licentiate  Carambola  embarks  with  the  good 
fathers  of  Saint  Dominic — His  reception  to  the 
novitiate — He  receives  holy  orders — In  what  manner 
he  preached  the  first  time — He  mounts  the  pulpit  a 
second  time — His  success — He  sails  for  the  Indies — 
His  astonishment  on  arriving  there  ....       278 

III.  Father  Cyril  preaches  to  the  satisfaction  of  a  numerous 
auditory — He  goes  on  the  following  day  to  dine  with 
the  Bishop  of  Guatimala — His  visit  to  a  number  of 
nuns—  Collations  and  concerts  which  they  give  him 
— Private  conversation  which  the  bishop  had  with 
him — Subject  of  this  conversation     ....       284 

rV.  Of  the  exertions  which  Father  Cyril  made  to  give 
success  to  the  Bishop's  faction — What  was  the  result 
— An  unexpected  disturbance  arises  at  the  convent 
gates — Consequence  of  this  event     ....       290 

V.  How,  after  the  business  of  the  election,  Father  Cyril 
became  parish  priest  of  Petapa — Of  the  advantages 
he  found  in  his  cure — He  learns  the  Proconchi  with 
facility — Singular  manner  in  which  the  Indians  cele- 
brate the  patron  of  their  Churches   ....       292 

VI.  Father  Cyril  makes  himself  beloved  and  esteemed  by 
the  Indians — Interesting  history  of  two  brothers  and 
a  sister — He  preaches  in  Proconchi,  and  by  the  beauty 
of  his  sermons  obtains  a  place  in  the  academy  of 
Petapa 299 

VII.  Of  the  Indian  ladies  of  Petapa — Marvellous  secret  for 
rendering  a  person  amorous,  and  of  which  they  some- 
times avail  themselves — Of  the  great  and  holy  enter- 
prise which  Father  Cyril  undertook,  and  what  was 
the  result  of  it  .......       303 

VIII.  Consequence  of  this  glorious  expedition — Of  the  danger 
in  which  Father  Cyril  found  himself,  and  of  the 
prudent  course  he  took  to  extricate  himself  from  it 
— He  retires  to  his  monastery — He  receives  an  order 
from  his  provincial  to  go  and  preach  at  Mexico        .      30J 


:iv  CONTENTS. 

OHAPTKR  FAOa 

IX.  What  Don  Cherubin  and  Father  Cyril  did  after  hav- 
ing mutually  recounted  their  adventures — Description 
which  the  latter  gave  of  his  prior — Don  Cherubin  is 
received  with  pleasure — What  took  place  at  this  visit      310 

X.  Don  Cherubin  goes  to  see  the  penitents  of  the  desert, 
and  recognises  among  them  Don  Gabriel  Monchique, 
the  seducer  of  Donna  Paula — Of  the  conversation 
which  these  two  cavaliers  had  together,  and  how 
they  separated — Impression  made  on  Don  Cheru- 
bin's  mind  by  the  recital  of  the  manner  in  which  his 
wife  had  been  carried  off         ....        .       314 

XIr  Don  Cherubin  stops  in  a  village  on  his  return  from 
the  desert — An  unexpected  rencounter  which  takes 
place  there — History  of  a  parish  priest  and  a  pilgrim 
— Who  this  pilgrim  was — Astonishing  effect  of  per- 
sonal resemblance,  and  extraordinary  generosity  of 
the  priest •        •      319 


PART  THE  SIXTH. 

L  Don  Cherubin,  on  his  return  to  Mexico,  gives  Don 
Juan  Salzedo  an  account  of  his  journey — Of  the  joy 
which  the  secretary  felt  at  finding  him  in  a  situation 
to  become  his  son-in-law — Of  the  new  employment 
which  he  obtained  for  him,  and  the  good  advice 
which  he  gave  him  ......       327 

II.  Don  Cherubin  de  la  Ronda  shares  the  functions  of 
Salzedo,  and  acquits  himself  perfectly  well  —  He 
marries  Donna  Blanca  —  Tragical  history  of  three 
Indian  brothers       .......       33O 

IIL  By  what  accident  Toston  all  at  once  made  his  fortune, 
and  of  the  laudable  resolution  which  he  took  shortly 
after  —  Don  Alexis  paits  without  regret  from  his 
Creole,  Toston's  wife 339 

IV.  Of  the  confidence  which  Don  Juan  Salzedo  reposed 
in  his  son-in-law,  of  a  project  formed  by  the  Viceroy 
—What  this  project  was,  and  how  it  was  executed 


CONTENTS.  XV 


— The  Archbishop  of  Mexico  takes  the  part  of  the 
people,  and  excommunicates  Don  Pedro  and  the 
Viceroy  —  Violence  which  this  last  resorted  to,  in 
having  him  conducted  to  Vera  Cruz         .        .         .       343 

V.  Of  the  melancholy  consequences  which  arose  from 
carrying  off  the  Archbishop  of  Mexico — The  Viceroy 
is  obliged  to  retire  to  the  monastery  of  the  Cordeliers 
— Don  Cherubin,  his  wife,  and  his  father-in-law 
retire  there  also — Don  Cherubin  sets  out  frona  Mexico      348 

VL  Don  Cherubin  having  arrfved  at  Madrid,  goes  to  wait 
on  the  Duke  de  Olivarez,  and  gives  him  a  detail  of 
the  insurrection  at  Mexico — How  the  prime  minister 
was  affected  by  this  report,  and  of  the  resolutions 
which  were  taken  in  consequence  in  the  council  of 
his  Catholic  Majesty — The  Viceroy  returns  in  triumph 
to  his  palace — His  disgrace — He  returns  to  Madrid 
— Don  Cherubin  and  his  family  follow  him       .         .       353 

VIL  In  what  manner  the  Count  de  Gelves  was  received  at 
Court — His  visit  to  the  prime  minister — The  Duke 
de  Olivarez  makes  him  grand  equerry — Of  the  course 
taken  by  Salzedo  and  Don  Cherubin — One  becomes 
steward  and  the  other  secretary  to  the  Duke  de  Gelves       357 

VIII.  Don  Cherubin  meets  Toston  at  Madrid — Of  the  inter- 
view he  had  with  him,  and  the  disastrous  adventure 
which  happened  to  Toston — Don  Cherubin  renders 
him  an  important  service  .....       360 

IX.  By  what  accident  Toston  met  with  his  wife,  when  he 
had  entirely  forgotten  her — Account  which  she  gives 
of  the  circumstances  attending  their  separation — Her 
justification — Fresh  change  which  this  recital  pro- 
duced in  his  heart  —  His  affairs  assume  a  better 
aspect 366 

X.  Continuation  of  the  preceding  chapter — Blandina  intro- 
duces her  husband  to  her  mistresses — Their  interview 
— What  was  resolved  on  by  Toston  and  his  wife  in 
favour  of  the  young  Count  de  Gelves        .         ,         .       373 

XI.  Interview  between  the  young  Count  de  Gelves  and 
Donna  Leonora — Its  consequences — The  Count  de 
Gelves  proposes  an  advantageous  match  to  his  son— 


::vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Second   interview  lietween  tlie    two    lovers — Wliat 
passes   at  it — Blandina'.s   yood  advice — Don    Alexis 
follows  it — Who  was  the  person  whom  it  was  wished 
he  should  marry         .....  .  .        370 

XII.  Of  what  tock  place  after  the  marriage  of  Don  Alexis 
de  Gelves — -Toston's  journey  to  Alcaraz,  and  his 
return  to  Madrid — Don  Cheiuhinhas  the  satisfaction 
of  hearing  good  news  of  Don  Manoel  and  Id:;  fanul/  3S6 
XIII.  Of  the  secret  an;l  curious  conversation  which  Don 
Cheruliin  had  (  ne  day  with  the  Count  c?e  Gelves— 
Relation  of  the  manner  in  which  the  Duke  de 
Ossuna  CTitercd  Madrid,  which  proved  the  cause  of 
his  downfall        ........        390 

XIV.  Of  Don  Manoel's  arrival  at  Madrid — The  extreme  joy 

which  that  cavalier  and  Don  Ciierubin  felt  at  again 
meeting  after  so  long  a  separation,  and  of  the 
arrangements  which  they  made  not  to  part  again      ,        392 

XV.  In   consequence   of  what   event    the   project   of  Don 

Manoel  and  Don  Cherubin  was  not  carried  into 
execution — Dein  Juan  de  Salzedo  is  made  Corregidor 
of  Alca'nz         .  ......        395 

XVI.  Don  Juan  de  Salzedo  sets  out  from  Madrid  wdlh  his 

daughter  and  Don  Cherubin — Theirarrival  at  Alcaraz 
— The  reception  I  hey  met  with — End  of  the  history 
of  the  Bachelor  of  Salamanca   .....       397 


THE 

BACHELOR    OF    SALAMANCA. 


Part  tl)e  JFirst* 
CHAPTER    I. 

OF    THE    FAMILY  AND    EDUCATION'  OF    DON   CHMgtUBiN — 
AFTER   THE  DEA  TH   OF  HIS  FA  THER  HE  GOES  TO  LIVE 

WITH  ONE  OF   HIS  RELATIONS HIS   PROGRESS   IN  HIS 

STUDIES HE    TRAVELS    TO   MADRID,     WHERE   HE   BE- 
COMES  ACQUAINTED   WITH  A    PRIEST THE   REMARKS 

WHICH    THE   PRIEST  MAKES  ON  THE  EMPLOYMENT  IN 
WHICH  DON  CHERUB  IN  WISHES  TO  ENGAGE. 

I  OWE  my  birth  to  Don  Roberto  de  la  Ronda,  a 
native  of  the  environs  of  Malaga,  but  settled  in  the 
province  of  Leon  ;  where  he  became  secretary  to  Don 
Sebastian  de  Cespedez,  Corregidor  of  Salamanca,  by 
whom  he  was  afterwards  made  Alcade  of  Molorido, 
a  large  borough  in  the  neighbourhood  of  that  city. 
My  father,  in  virtue  of  his  office,  assumed  the  title  of 
Don ;  and,  happily  for  him,  no  one  thought  proper 
to  contest  his  right  to  that  distinction.  As  he  had 
always  been  a  man  of  pleasure  and  extremely 
generous,  he  had  amassed  so  little  wealth,  that  on 
being  snatched  from  his  family  by  a  premature  death, 

A 


2  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

his  widow  and  three  children  were  left  with  but  a 
bare  subsistence.  I  was  at  this  time  with  my  elder 
brother,  Don  Caesar,  at  the  University  of  Salamanca, 
where  I  know  not  how  we  should  have  been  able  to 
continue  our  studies,  but  for  the  assistance  of  the 
Corregidor,  who  very  generously  contributed  to  our 
support,  and  omitted  nothing  which  might  tend  to 
our  comfort.  He  was  very  fond  of  us  ;  and  whenever 
we  went  to  visit  him,  never  failed  to  assure  us  that  he 
regarded  us  as  his  own  children.  We  might,  indeed, 
be  really  so  ;  though  this  is  a  supposition  I  am  not 
much  inclined  to,  notwithstanding  my  mother  had,  it 
is  true,  the  reputation  of  being  a  little  inclined  to 
coquet. 

Unfortunately,  »ur  protector  died  before  we  were 
out  of  college;  so  that,  finding  ourselves  reduced  to 
our  patrimony,  which  was  very  inadequate  to  the 
supply  of  our  wants,  we  were  obliged  to  abandon 
ourselves  to  the  protection  of  Providence.  Don 
Caesar,  feeling  an  inclination  for  the  pursuit  of  arms, 
joined  a  regiment  of  cavalry,  which  the  government 
about  this  time  despatched  to  Milan.  For  my  own 
part,  profiting  by  the  friendship  of  an  old  relation,  a 
doctor  of  the  University,  I  accepted  a  lodging,  which 
he  offered  me  gratuitously,  together  with  a  seat  at 
his  table.  My  mother,  thus  divested  of  the  charge 
of  all  but  Donna  Francisca,  my  sister,  who  was  not 
yet  seven  years  old,  was,  consequently,  left  in  a  state 
of  tolerable  competency. 

So  great  was  the  progress  I  made  at  college,  that 
nothing  was  spoken  of  there  but  Don  Cherubin  de  la 
Ronda.  I  shone  particularly  in  philosophy,  by  the 
extraordinary  talent   I  evinced  in  disputation.     In 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  » 

effect  I  laboured  so  successfully,  that  I  had  speedily 
the  honour    f  obtaining  a  Bachelor's  degree. 

Shortly  after,  my  old  doctor,  who  began  to  be  tired 
of  the  expense  of  having  me  for  a  boarder  (for  the 
good  man  was  a  little  avaricious),  addressed  me  in 
the  followi.ig  terms: — "  M}'  friend,  D  ^n  Cherubin, 
you  are  now  of  an  age  to  think  of  an  establishment 
for  yoLirseh'",  and  capable  o."  pr  curing  yourself  a 
livelihood  by  undertaking  the  office  of  a  preceptor; 
it  is,  in  m\'  opinion,  the  best  course  you  can  ad  pt. 
You  have  only  to  go  to  Madrid,  where  you  will  easily 
find  some  respectable  house,  from  which,  after  having 
completed  the  education  of  your  charge,  you  may 
retire  with  a  pension  for  life,  or  at  least  a  bene- 
fice. You  are  a  young  man  of  talent,  and  have  an 
air  of  wisdom;  you  were  born  for  the  office  of  a 
preceptor." 

Having  seen  at  Salamanca  two  or  three  tutors, 
who  appeared  content  with  their  situation,  I  took  it 
into  m\-  head  that  their  employment  must  be  ex- 
tremely agreeable.  The  old  doctor,  therefore,  found 
little  difficulty  in  prevailing  on  me.  I  told  him  that 
I  was  ready  to  set  out;  and,  after  thanking  him  for 
his  kindness,  I  departed  for  the  capital  by  the  Alule- 
teer's  road,  carrying  with  me  a  trunk  containing  m\- 
effects,  that  is  to  say,  a  small  quantity  of  linen,  my 
Bachelor's  habit,  and  a  few  pistoles,  with  which  the 
old  man,  notwithstanding  his  avarice,  had  managed 
to  supply  me. 

Arrived  at  Madrid,  I  took  up  my  residence  at  an 
hotel,  where  the  necessaries  of  the  table  were  decently 
furnished,  and  where  many  respectable  persons  were 
lodged.     With  these  I  speedily  became  acqun'm-"' 


4  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

and  among  the  rest,  cultivated  a  particular  friendship 
with  the  Rector  of  Leganez,  whom  an  affair  of  im- 
portance had  brought  to  Madrid.  He  told  me  in 
confidence  the  object  of  his  journey,  and  I  in  return 
made  him  acquainted  with  the  motive  of  my  own. 

As  soon  as  he  heard  that  I  was  desirous  of  becom- 
ing a  tutor,  he  indulged  in  a  distortion  of  features, 
which  I  could  never  since  think  of  without  laughter. 
"I  am  really  sorry  for  you,  Signior  Bachelor,"  said 
he.  "  What  is  it  you  are  about  to  do  ?  What  a  life 
are  you  going  to  enter  upon  !  Are  you  aware  of  the 
obligations  under  which  it  will  lay  you  ; — that  it  will 
condemn  you  to  sacrifice  your  liberty,  your  pleasures, 
and  your  best  years,  to  a  laborious,  obscure,  and 
tedious  occupation  .?  You  must  take  charge  of  a 
child,  who,  however  well  born  he  may  be,  will,  not- 
withstanding, not  be  free  from  faults.  You  must 
apply  yourself  incessantly  to  the  task  of  forming  his 
mind  to  science,  and  his  heart  to  virtue.  You  wdl 
have  to  combat  his  caprices,  to  conquer  his  idleness, 
and  to  correct  his  ill-humours.  You  will  not  be  quit," 
continued  he,  "  for  all  the  trouble  which  your  pupil 
will  cause  you.  You  will  frequently  be  obliged  to 
submit  to  unkind  treatment  from  his  parents,  and  be 
sometimes  exposed  to  mortifications  the  most  humili- 
ating. Think  not,  therefore,  that  the  situation  of  a 
preceptor  is  one  full  of  pleasure  :  it  is  rather  a  kind 
of  servitude,  to  qualify  one's  self  for  which,  it  is  requi- 
site, as  in  order  to  become  a  monk,  to  be  something 
either  more  or  less  than  man. 

"  You  may,"  added  the  Rector  of  Leganez,  "  rely 
upon  me  in  this  matter;  I  have  exercised  the  office 
vou  are  desirous  of  undertaking.     Next  to  that  of  a 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  5 

bishop's  almoner,  it  is  the  most  miserable  I  can  con- 
ceive :  I  know  well  what  it  is.  I  educated  the  son  of 
an  Alcade  of  the  court.  It  is  true  I  did  not  entirely 
lose  my  labour,  because  my  benefice  is  the  fruit  of 
it;  but  I  protest  t^  you  that  it  cost  me  very  dear. 
I  spent  eight  years  in  a  state  of  slavery,  worse  than 
that  of  the  Christians  in  Barbary.  My  pupil,  who  of 
a':l  the  children  in  the  world  was  perhaps  the  worst 
calculated  for  receiving  a  superior  education,  joined 
to  a  natural  stupidity  a  perfect  aversion  for  every- 
thing like  order  and  propriety,  so  that  to  instruct  him 
I  had  to  toil  myself  to  death,  and  found  after  all  that 
I  had  scattered  my  seed  upon  a  barren  sand.  I 
should  not,  however,  have  lost  my  patience,  had  the 
Alcade,  less  blinded  by  paternal  love,  done  justice  to 
his  son;  but  not  being  willing  to  believe  him  so 
stupid  as  he  really  was,  he  laid  all  the  blame  of  his 
deficiencies  on  me.  He  reproached  me  with  the 
inutility  of  my  lessons  ;  and  what  re  dered  me  the 
more  sensible  of  this  injustice  was,  that  he  expressed 
himself  in  terms  by  no  means  the  most  delicate. 

"  I  was  thus,"  continued  the  Rector,  "  condemned 
to  suffer  equally  from  the  father  and  the  son,  in 
dififerent  wa}-s ;  I  had  also  in  the  d  mestic^,  t\Tant3 
of  my  repose,  vigilant  spies,  and  inferiors,  ever  ready 
to  gratify  themselves  by  treating  me  with  disrespect." 
— "What  a  \\ietched  house!"  exclaimed  I  ;  "in  my 
opinion  you  are  extremely  fortunate  in  not  having 
been  forced  to  leave  it  without  any  remuneration  for 
your  services." — "  You  are  very  much  in  the  right," 
said  he,  "  and  you  will  also  please  to  take  notice,  that 
there  are  nearly  a  thousand  crowns  due  to  me  for  my 
salary,  which  my  friend,  the  Alcade,  has  not  the  least 


6       THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

notion  of  paying  me,  or  rather  wliich  he  conceives  he 
has  amply  paid  me,  by  obtaining  me  a  country 
benefice." — "  And  your  pupil,"  said  I,  "  is  he  not 
grateful  for  the  pains  which  you  have  taken  with 
him  ?  Are  you  not  on  terms  of  friendship  when  you 
meet?" — "I  never  see  him,"  replied  the  Rector; 
"  scarcely  had  he  entered  upon  the  world  ere  he 
forgot  both  his  Latin  and  his  tutor." 

Such  was  the  style  in  which  the  Rector  essayed  to 
vanquish  my  desire  of  becoming  a  tutor.  Sensible, 
however,  as  was  his  discourse,  it  made  no  more  im- 
pression on  me  than  the  arguments  addressed  to  a 
young  girl,  to  prevent  her  from  taking  a  husband. 
He  perceived  it,  and  judging,  very  properly,  that  it 
would  only  be  losing  time  to  attempt  turning  me 
from  my  purpose,  he  thus  pursued  the  subject :  "  I 
perceive  very  plainly  that  it  is  in  vain  to  combat  your 
resolution.  You  are  determined  on  undertaking  the 
office  of  a  preceptor!  Well  and  good.  Since,  liow- 
ever,  I  am  not  blessed  with  eloquence  sufficient  to 
make  you  change  your  mind,  I  will  at  least  entreat 
you  to  remember  the  advice  I  am  about  to  give  j'ou. 
Keep  the  strictest  guard  over  yourself  while  in  a 
house  in  which  there  are  women :  the  devil  is  fond  of 
tempting  tutors;  and  if  the  instrument  he  employs  be 
possessed  of  ever  so  little  beauty,  they  seldom  fail  to 
yield  to  the  temptation." 

I  promised  the  Rector  of  Leganez  to  comply  im- 
plicitly with  his  advice,  the  fair  sex  being,  in  fact,  a 
dangerous  rock  for  me;  for  I  was  already  but  to* 
sensible  that  I  had  received  from  nature  a  tempera- 
ment, with  which  my  virtue  would  find  it  no  easy 
matter  to  contend. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 


CHAPTER  II. 

OF  THE  FIRST  HOUSE  IN  WHICH  DON  CHERUBIN  BECAME  A 

TUTOR DESCRIPTION   OF  THE    CHILDRE.V    WHOM  HE 

HAD   TO  INSTRUCT IMPRUDENCE  OF  A  FATHER. 

The  Rector  of  Leganez,  seeing  me.  determined  to 
take  upon  myself  the  office  of  a  pedagogue,  introduced 
me  to  the  Reverend  Father  Thomas,  of  Villareal,  a 
friar  of  the  order  of  Mercy,  who  had  a  very  peculiar 
talent  for  discovering  houses  in  which  preceptors  were 
w:,..:ing.  This  good  father  speedily  pointed  out  one 
to  me,  or  rather  he  conducted  me  himself  to  the  house 
of  Siguier  Isidore  Montanos,  a  rich  citizen  of  Madrid, 
who,  in  consequence  of  the  good  character  which  his 
Reverence  gave  of  me,  engaged  me,  at  the  rate  of 
fifty  pistoles  a  year.  Montanos  had  been  a  merchant, 
and  had  retired  from  commerce,  to  divest  himself  of 
its  rust  and  enjoy  a  life  of  greater  tranquillity.  He 
had  two  sons,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  sixteen,  whose 
air  did  not  much  prapossess  me  in  their  favour.  The 
eldest  stammered,  and  the  youngest  was  lame.  I 
put  some  questions  to  them,  in  order  to  enable  me  to 
judge  of  their  intellects,  and  could  perceive  by  their 
answers  that  it  would  depend  wholly  upon  themselves 
to  profit  by  my  instructions. 

My  first  care  in  this  house  was  to  observe  with 
attention  every  person  in  it,  from  the  master  down  to 
the  meanest  lackey;  and  I  resolved  to  conduct  myself 
so,  that  no  defect  in  me  should  be  apparent;  an  under- 
taking scarcely  less  difficult  than  that  of  becoming 
really  free  from  any.     I  soon  became  acquainted  with 


8  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

their  characters,  and  this  knowledge  was  attended 
with  some  uneasiness.  Signior  Isidore  was  a  man 
of  weak  mind,  who  affected  to  be  a  wit,  and  was 
ever  amusing  himself  by  putting  off  some  stale  jest. 
Proud  of  the  possession  of  ten  thousand  ducats  a 
year,  he  strutted  along,  his  cheeks  inflamed  with 
pride,  and  with  an  air  which  marked  a  conviction  of 
his  own  superiority :  for  the  rest,  he  was  morose, 
clownish,  brutal,  and  capricious.  The  sons,  on  the 
other  hand,  were  badly  enough  disposed.  Though 
time  had  not  yet  made  the«i  men,  they  were  rendered 
so  by  their  passions  ;  nature  appeared  to  have  given 
them,  if  I  may  use  the  expression,  a  dispensation 
of  years,  in  order  to  become  vicious.  They  had  a 
favourite  attendant,  a  kind  of  valet-de-chanibre,  who 
possessed  their  confidenco,  and  by  whose  private 
services  their  irregularities  were  facilitated ;  so,  at 
least,  I  conceived  ;  and  my  reasons  for  thinking  it  ap- 
peared so  strong,  that  I  could  not  a^oid  mentioning 
my  suspicions  to  their  father. 

I  expected,  on  giving  him  this  information,  that  he 
would  be  sensible  of  its  impertance,  and  that  he 
would  immediately  take  fire,  as  any  other  father 
would  have  done  in  his  place.  But  I  greatly  deceived 
myself;  instead  of  being  at  all  moved,  he  laughed  in 
my  face,  saying:  "Go,  go,  Signior  Bachelor,  let  them 
go  on  in  their  own  way  ;  they  will  get  tired  of  it  in 
time,  as  I  have.  I  was,"  he  continued,  "a  mettle- 
some spark  in  my  youth,  and  made  all  the  fathers 
and  mothers  in  my  neighbourhood  tremble.  I  do 
not  expect  that  my  children  should  be  better  than 
myself;  I  do  not  give  you  fifty  pistoles  a  year  to 
make  saints  for  me.     Do  you  teach  them  history  and 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  g 

the  Latin  language,  and  make  them  men  of  the  world ; 
that  is  all  I  ask  of  you." 

When  I  found  that  Montanos  had  no  delicacy  as 
to  the  morals  of  his  sons,  I  forbore  to  trouble  myself 
by  watching  their  conduct ;  and,  confining  myself 
within  the  bounds  prescribed,  contented  myself  with 
performing  my  other  duties.  I  caused  my  pupils  to 
translate  the  Latin  authors  into  Castilian,  and  to 
turn  the  works  of  good  Spanish  writers  into  Latin. 
I  read  to  them  the  wars  of  Grenada  and  other  his- 
tories, and  accompanied  my  reading  with  instructive 
reflections.  Likewise,  whenever  anything  escaped 
them  contrary  to  the  dictates  of  good  breeding  or  of 
charity,  I  did  not  fail  to  reprove  them.  But  it  was  in 
vain  that  I  remonstrated  with  them  ;  all  my  advice 
was  rendered  ineffectual  by  the  conversation  of  their 
father.  Whenever  he  was  in  a  good  humour,  he  used 
to  boast  before  them  of  the  libertinism  of  his  youth. 
It  appeared  as  if  he  really  described  his  debaucheries 
in  order  to  induce  them  to  follow  his  example.  There 
are  parents  of  this  description,  who  throw  off  all  re- 
straint before  their  children,  and  who  are  themselves 
the  means  of  turning  them  from  the  paths  of  virtue. 

After  all,  if  Signior  Isidore  had  been  free  from  this 
defect,  we  should  notwithstanding  have  been  unable 
to  live  long  together.  I  miyht,  indeed,  have  put  up 
with  many  others  which  he  had,  excepting  his  ill- 
humour.  When  he  gave  way  to  this,  a  circumstance 
which  occurred  but  too  often,  he  was  perfectly  insup- 
portable. On  such  occasions  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
use  the  harshest  and  most  disobligin"'  lan^rua^e.  He 
was  even  so  unjust  as  to  reproach  me  for  the  natural 
defects  of  his  sons.     "  Why  do  you  not,"  he  would  ask 


10  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

me,  ''teach  my  eldest  son  (this  was  the  stammerer)  to 
speak  plain  ?  What  is  the  reason  that  the  youngest 
(this  was  the  lame  one)  carries  himself  so  badly  ? 
Why  is  one  of  them  so  pale?  Why  are  the  other's 
clothes  so  full  of  stains  and  dust?" 

It  was  thus  he  used  to  address  me.  How  was  it 
possible  to  listen  with  patience  to  reproaches  of  this 
kind  ?  One  morning,  no  longer  able  to  contain  my- 
self, I  quitted  the  house  of  Signior  Montanos,  never 
more  to  return  to  it ;  after  telling  him  that  I  could 
not  accommodate  myself  to  a  man  who  wished  that 
the  tutor  of  his  children  should  be,  at  the  same  time, 
their  doctor,  their  dancing  master,  and  their  valet-de- 
cJiatiibre. 


CHAPTER  HI. 

DON  CHERUBIN  OFFERS   HIS   SERVICES    TO    A    MEMBER    OP 

THE  COUNCIL  OF  CASTILE OF   THE   EXTRAORDINARY 

INTERVIEW  WHICH  HE   HAD    WITH   THAT  DIGNITARY 
HIS   REPLY    TO    HIM,    AND    WHAT   HE   DID. 

I  WENT  the  same  day  to  visit  the  friar  of  the  order 
of  Mercy,  who  by  no  means  blamed  me  for  having 
quitted  the  service  of  Signior  Isidore.  On  the  con- 
trar\-,  he  told  me  that  he  was  sorry  for  having  been 
the  means  of  placing  me  in  so  bad  a  house.  "  Return 
hither  in  two  or  three  days,  Signior  Bachelor,"  added 
he.  "  I  shall,  perhaps,  by  that  time  have  been  able  to 
find  you  a  more  eligible  place." 

In  effect,  he  informed    me  on  my  return  that  he 
had  some  news  for  me.     "A  member  of  the  Council 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  ii 

of  Castile,"  said  he,  "is  in  want  of  a  tutor  for  liis 
only  son.  You  may  go  and  present  yourself  in  my 
name  to  this  magistrate;  I  have  spoken  of  you  to 
him,  and  I  think  that  you  will  suit  each  other  very 
well.  I  have  only  to  warn  you  that  he  is  possessed 
of  a  plentiful  portion  of  pride,  as  these  gentry  usually 
are  :  with  the  exception  of  that,  he  is  amiable  and 
w«ll-dispo-ed,  as  far  as  I  can  learn.  I  hope  that  you 
will  be  better  pleased  with  him  than  with  Signior 
Montanos." 

I  repaired  immediately  to  the  residence  of  the 
Councillor,  whom  I  found  on  the  point  of  stepping 
into  his  carriage  to  attend  the  Council.  I  approached 
him  with  the  greatest  respect,  and  informed  him  that 
I  was  the  Bachelor  of  whom  Father  Thomas,  of 
Villareal,  had  spoken  to  him.  "You  have  chosen 
your  time  very  badly,"  replied  he,  with  a  grave,  dry 
air;  "I  cannot  give  you  audience  at  present:  return 
at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening." 

Finding  an  hour  appointed  for  my  audience,  I  did 
not  fail  to  attend  my  great  man  before  the  time 
prescribed.  I  was  announced,  but  was  allowed  to 
remain  full  two  hours  in  the  anteroom,  after  which 
I  was  ushered  into  a  closet  where  the  Counciilor  was 
seated  in  an  arm-chair.  I  made  him  a  reverence  so 
profound,  that  I  was  in  danger  of  falling  on  my  face, 
lie  returned  my  salute  by  a  slight  inclination  of  the 
head,  and  pointing  to  a  low  stool,  which  very  much 
resemibled  that  on  which  a  prisoner  sits  at  the  time 
of  his  trial,  he  motioned  me  to  be  seated. 

I  never  in  my  life  saw  a  personage  of  more  proud 
deportment.  He  cast  on  me  a  penetrating  glance, 
and,  as  if  determined  to  scrutinise  me  thoroughly, 


12  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

addressed  me  in  these  words:  "Were  }'ou  born  a 
gentleman?" — "  I  did  not  think,"  replied  I,  "  that  it 
was  necessary  to  be  so  in  order  to  become  a  tutor." 
—  "I  grant  you,"  replied  he,  "  that  it  is  not  absolutely 
necessary;  but,  besides  that  he  is  none  the  worse  for 
it,  it  appears  to  me  that  a  dogma  has  more  force 
fioni  the  mouth  of  a  man  of  gentle  blood,  than  from 
that  of  a  plebeian." 

The  respect  due  to  a  member  of  the  Council  of 
Castile  prevented  me  from  bursting  into  the  fit  of 
laughter,  into  which  these  last  words  had  nearly 
thrown  me,  so  ridiculous  did  they  appear.  "  How- 
ever," replied  the  Councillor,  "though  you  be  not 
noble,  I  have  no  objection  to  waive  that  consideration, 
provided  that  you  have  all  the  other  good  qualities 
which  I  expect  in  a  man  whom  I  shall  constitute 
preceptor  ■  f  my  son,  who  will  probably  one  day  fill 
my  place." 

I  asked  the  Councillor  of  what  qualities  he  deemed 
it  requisite  this  precept  r  should  be  possessed  ?  To 
which  he  replied:  "I  desire  a  persrn  who  shall  be  a 
great  man,  a  man  of  learning,  a  religious  man,  and  a 
man  f  the  world,  at  the  same  time.  He  must  unite 
all  the  talents,  he  must  possess  all  sciences,  divine  and 
hu'  lan,  from  the  catechism  t  mystical  philosophy, 
and  from  heraldry  to  algebra.  Such  is  the  master  I 
am  desirous  of  obtaining  ;  and  as  it  is  just  and  proper 
to  render  happy  the  lot  of  a  person  of  so  much  merit, 
I  will  give  him  a  seat  at  my  table,  with  fifty  pistoles 
annually.  This  is  not  all,"  added  he  ;  "  for  when  my 
son's  education  shall  be  completed,  I  can  easily 
procure  him  a  benefice,  or,  at  least,  will  reward  him 
with  a  small  pension  for  life,"     I  admired  the  gene- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  13 

rosity  of  this  magistrate,  and  being  perfectly  satisfied 
in  my  own  mind  that  I  was  not  the  pedagogue  of 
whom  he  had  formed  so  perfect  an  idea,  I  rose  from 
my  stool,  and  said  :  "  Farewell,  my  lord  ;  may  you 
meet  with  the  man  }-ou  seek :  but  to  be  candid  with 
you,  I  believe  he  will  be  as  hard  to  find  as  Cicero's 
Orator." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FATHER    THOMAS   PLACES    THE   BACHELOR   AT   THE  HOUSE 

OF    THE   MARQUIS   OF   BUENDIA CHARACTER    OF  THE 

PUPIL  HE  HAS    TO  INSTRUCT HE  LEAVES  THE  HOUSE 

THE  REASON. 

I  GAVE  an  account  of  this  conversation  to  Father 
Thomas,  and  we  both  laughed  a  great  deal  at  the 
expense  of  the  Councillor,  whom  we  set  down  as 
an  original.  "  I  cannot  be  at  ease,"  said  the  monk, 
"  since  I  have  failed  to  provide  for  you.  The  more 
I  see  of  you,  the  more  I  esteem  you.  I  will  agaiii 
exert  mj'self,  and  it  shall  go  hard,  but  I  will  securrt 
you  in  one  of  those  houses  where  tutors  are  well  off  in 
all  weathers." 

In  effect,  a  few  days  after,  imagining  that  he  had 
made  my  fortune,  he  came  to  my  lodging  and  saii.i 
with  an  appearance  of  satisfaction  which  heightened 
the  merit  of  the  service  :  "At  last,  my  dear  Bachelor, 
I  have  an  excellent  place  to  offer  you.  The  Marquis 
of  Buendia,  one  of  the  principal  lords  of  the  court,  is 
willing  to  confide  to  your  care  the  education  of  his 
son,  in  consequence  of  the  picture  I  have  drawn  of 


14  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

you.  Call  on  me  to-morrow  morning,  and  I  will  take 
you  to  him.  You  will  meet  with  one  of  the  most 
polished  of  noblemen.  You  will  be  charmed  with  your 
reception,  and  I  doubt  not  that  you  will  be  perfectly 
happy  in  his  house." 

On  the  following  morning  Father  Thomas  con- 
ducted me  to  the  levee  of  the  Marquis:  and  that 
nobleman  received  me  with  a  gracious  air,  telling  me 
that  he  was  convinced  of  my  merit,  since  the  reverend 
father,  who  was  his  friend,  had  chosen  me  to  be  near 
the  person  of  the  young  Marquis,  his  son.  "As  to 
your  salary,"  said  the  Marquis,  "I  shall  pay  you  one 
hundred  pistoles  a  year,  and  you  shall  not  leave  me 
without  a  recompense  equal  to  your  exertions,  and 
proportioned  to  my  gratitude." 

I  had  my  trunk  removed  the  same  day  to  the 
house  of  the  Marquis,  where  I  found  an  apartment 
furnished  expressly  for  me.  I  saw  my  pupil  : — he 
was  a  child  of  seven  years  old,  beautiful  as  the  day, 
and  of  the  mildest  manners.  He  was  as  yet  in  the 
hands  of  women,  but  he  was  immediately  given  up 
to  me,  and  a  valet-de-chanibre  and  a  lackey  were 
appointed  to  attend  on  us.  As  children  are  generally 
born  with  some  propensities  which  it  is  necessary  to 
restrain,  I  employed  myself  in  ascertaining  those  of 
my  pupil.  I  could,  however,  discover  none  that  were 
bad,  such  care  had  been  taken  by  the  women  who 
had  the  charge  of  his  early  infancy,  not  to  suffer  in 
him  the  growth  of  any  vicious  inclination.  The\' 
had  even  taught  him  to  read  and  write,  so  that  he 
was  already  able  to  form  his  letters. 

I  procured  him  an  accidence,  and  began  to  instruct 
him   in   the   principles  of  the   Latin  language,  and 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  15 

mixed  with  my  lessons  some  light  fables,  proper  to 
open  his  mind  at  the  same  time  that  they  afforded 
amusement.  These  he  imbibed  with  surprising 
facility,  and  when  he  repeated  them  to  his  father, 
acquitted  himself  with  so  <^ood  a  grace  that  the 
Marquis  shed  tears  of  joy.  It  is  certain  that  much 
was  to  be  expected  from  this  young  nobleman,  I 
was  delighted  with  his  happy  disposition,  and  proud 
beforehand  of  the  honour  which  I  was  to  derive  from 
his  education. 

I  was  so  well  contented  with  my  situation,  that  I 
could  not  refrain  from  going  to  see  the  friar  of  the 
order  of  Mercy,  to  impart  to  him  the  satisfaction  I 
felt.  "My  reverend  father,"  said  I,  with  an  air  which 
informed  him  at  once  of  the  motive  of  my  visit,  "  I 
come  full  of  gratitude,  to  return  you  the  thanks  which 
are  your  due.  You  have  placed  me  in  a  house  where 
I  am  beloved,  considered,  respected.  I  have  for  a 
pupil  the  most  gentle  creature  in  the  v/orld,  in  whom 
it  is  impossible  to  perceive  any  defect ;  he  is  not  a 
child,  but  an  angel." 

At  these  words,  Father  Thomas,  embracing  me 
with  joy,  exclaimed  :  "  How  happy  do  you  make  me 
by  the  information  that  you  are  so  well  satisfied  with 
your  pupil." — "  Nor  am  I  less  so,"  rejoined  I  briskly, 
"with  his  father.  The  Marquis  of  Buendia  is  an 
amiable  nobleman.  What  politeness!  I  am  abso- 
lutely embarrassed  with  his  attentions.  Far  from 
having  any  of  those  inequalities  of  temper,  or  those 
moments  of  caprice,  in  which  people  of  rank  make 
their  superiority  felt,  he  never  speaks  to  me  but  to 
say  something  obliging.  He  has  even,  in  my  pre- 
sence, charged  his  domestics  to  attend  to  my  orders, 


I6  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

if  on  any  occasion  I  should  require  anything  from 
them." — "Once  more,"  said  the  friar,  "you  dehght 
me.  You  will,  doubtless,  make  your  fortune  in  the 
house  of  this  nobleman." 

I  now  viewed  my  situation  as  so  completely  happ}', 
that  I  heartily  wished  the  Rector  of  Leganez,  who 
was  no  longer  in  Madrid,  could  be  witness  of  it.  "  By 
his  account,"  said  I,  "  there  is  no  tutor  who  is  not 
wretched ;  I  find  myself,  notwithstanding,  in  circum- 
stances worthy  of  envy." 

My  felicity  was  undisturbed  during  an  entire  year. 
Though  I  did  not  touch  a  single  penny  of  my  salary, 
I  had  my  mind  perfectly  at  ease  on  that  subject. 
"  Wlienever  I  may  be  in  want  of  money,"  said  I, 
"Don  Gabriel  de  Pompano,  our  steward,  will  supply 
me.  I  need  only  speak  two  words  to  him,  and  he 
will  immediately  tell  me  out  as  many  pieces  as  I 
desire." 

Confident  on  this  point,  I  let  six  months  more  pass 
over  without  troubling  myself;  but  at  length  my 
want  of  a  few  pistoles  became  so  pressing,  that  I 
could  no  longer  refrain  from  applying  to  Don  Gabriel 
Pompano.  "  I  beg  of  you,"  said  I,  "  to  give  me 
thirty  pistoles  on  account  of  my  salary." — "  Signior 
Bachelor,"  said  he,  affecting  an  air  of  chagrin,  "  you 
take  me  at  a  moment  when  I  am  quite  unprepared  ; 
and  I  am  extremely  sorry  for  it.  Be  assured  that  I 
would  give  you  a  hundred  pistoles,  instead  of  thirty, 
if  I  had  the  funds ;  but  I  protest  to  you  that  I  have 
not  ten  crowns  in  my  chest." — "  This,"  said  I,  "  is  the 
steward's  usual  cant.  If  you  be  desirous  of  obliging 
me,  you  will  not  refuse  me  what  I  ask.  There  are 
more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  pistoles  due  to  me; 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  17 

and  I  am  in  extreme  want  of  money :  let  me  entreat 
you  to  reflect  a  little  on  my  situation."  Useless 
prayer!  Vain  were  all  my  arguments;  vain  was 
it  even  to  entreat  Don  Gabriel  to  assist  me  even 
with  ten  pistoles;  the  barbarian  was  inexorable:  a 
steward's  heart  is  flint. 

My  clothes  were,  however,  beginning  to  be  ex- 
tremely shabby,  a  circumstance  whicli  gave  me  con- 
siderable uneasiness.  One  day  I  took  the  dancing 
master  aside,  and  asked  him  if  his  visits  were  well 
paid.  "Not  too  well,"  said  he;  "I  do  not  know  the 
colour  of  the  Marquis's  money,  though  I  come  here 
three  times  a  week  regularly.  You  are,  I  presume, 
much  in  the  same  case .''" — "You  have  hit  it,"  said  I, 
"and  unfortunately  I  have  not  the  same  resources  as 
you  :  you  have  twenty  scholars ;  and  if  ten  out  of 
them  do  not  pay,  you  will  at  least  obtain  from  the 
other  ten  enough  to  support  your  table  and  to  keep 
up  your  equipage.  I  am,  as  you  see,  more  to  be 
pitied  than  yourself." 

After  having  made  several  other  attempts  to  soften 
the  barbarous  Pompano,  I  came  to  the  resolution  of 
making  known  my  wants  to  the  Marquis.  It  was 
not  without  a  great  deal  of  pain  that  I  brought  myself 
to  do  so;  necessity,  however,  at  length  compelled  me 
to  dispense  with  further  ceremony.  I  represented 
to  his  lordship  the  straits  to  which  I  found  myself 
reduced,  and  the  ineffectual  efforts  I  had  made  to 
procure  relief  from  Pompano.  The  Marquis  was,  or, 
to  speak  more  justly,  appeared  to  be,  in  a  great  rage 
with  the  steward,  said  "  that  he  would  rate  him  soundly, 
and  that  he  would  take  care  I  should  be  paid  regu- 
larly every  quarter." 

B. 


i8  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA 

Who  would  not  have  supposed  that  I  was  on  the 
point  of  touching  at  least  fifty  doubloons?  My  cause 
was  not,  however,  in  the  least  advanced ;  whether 
Pompano  and  his  master  were  hud  run  for  cash,  or, 
as  is  most  probable,  they  laid  their  heads  together 
to  treat  me  in  the  same  way  as  the  rest  of  their 
creditors. 

I  was  in  a  case  of  too  much  extremity  not  to  make 
some  violent  effort  to  extricate  myself.  I  therefore, 
for  the  fourth  time,  employed  Father  Thomas,  who 
pitying  my  misfortune,  introduced  me  to  the  house 
of  a  Contador;*  but  previously  to  leaving  the 
Marquis's  house,  I  addressed  him  a  letter,  in  which 
I  respectfully  represented  to  him  that,  not  being  rich 
enough  to  continue  in  his  service  without  remunera- 
tion, I  was  under  the  necessity  of  seeking  another 
house  than  his  ;  a  proceeding  I  entreated  him  not  to 
take  amiss.  This  was  requisite,  for  whatever  cause  a 
common  person  may  have  to  complain  of  a  man  of 
quality,  it  is  notwithstanding  necessary  to  give  him 
fair  words. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   BACHELOR    OF  SALAMANCA    BECOMES   PRECEPTOR    TO 

THE    SON   OF    A    CONTADOR HIS    JOY    AT    GETTING 

INTO  SO  GOOD  A    HOUSE HE    IS   PAID    IN  ADVANCE 

HE  BECOMES  ENAMOURED  OF  A    VOUNS  SERVANT  MAID 
H'lS  RIVAL  GETS  HIM  DISMISSED. 

I    PASSED  from  one  extreme  to  the  other.     If  the 
Contador  had  not  all  the  politeness  of  the  Marquig  of 

*  A  money  broker,   or  person  appointed  by  authority  to  settle 
accounts, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  19 

Buendia,  he  was,  on  the  other  hand,  much  better 
supplied  with  cash.  Oh,  the  charming  abode  '.  No- 
thing was  to  be  heard  there  from  morning  to  night 
but  the  ratthng  of  silver  and  gold.  How  were  my 
ears  enchanted  with  the  melodious  sound  ! 

The  Contador  was  a  man  who  came  at  once  to  the 
point.  He  wished  to  know  what  was  my  salary  in 
the  house  of  the  Marquis  of  Buendia.  "  That  noble- 
man," said  I,  "  promised  me  a  hundred  pistoles  a  year ; 
but  he  has  not  been  very  exact  to  his  word."  The 
Contador  smiled  at  these  last  words,  and  said,  "  Very 
well  !  I  promise  you — I — a  hundred  and  fifty  pistoles, 
which  shall  be  paid  you  without  fail,  and  which  you 
may  even,  if  you  please,  receive  in  advance."  At  the 
same  time,  calling  his  cashier,  "  Raposo,"  said  he, 
"pay  the  Bachelor  immediately  a  hundred  pistoles, 
and  take  care  whenever  he  may  want  money  from 
you,  not  to  refuse  him." 

These  words  completely  confounded  me.  "  How 
the  deuce  is  this  ? "  said  I  to  myself.  "  A  Marquis 
and  a  Contador  are  two  very  different  species  of  men. 
One  fails  to  pay  that  which  he  is  indebted  ;  and  the 
other  does  not  wait  till  he  owes  meney  before  he  pays 
it."  As  soon  as  the  cashier  had  delivered  me  the 
money,  I  sent  for  a  tailor,  of  whom  I  ordered  a  com- 
plete suit,  and  paid  him  twenty  pistoles  in  advance, 
in  order  to  be  in  the  Contador  fashion. 

Seeing  myself  all  at  once  possessed  of  money,  I 
recovered  the  good-humour,  which  the  Marquis  and 
his  steward  had,  in  some  degree,  deprived  me  of; 
and  began  with  a  good  heart  to  discharge  the  duties 
of  my  employment.  My  new  pupil  was  not  far 
advanced.     Although  he  was  ten  years  of  age,  he 


20  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

had  not  yet  learned  to  read  ;  I  was  his  first  master. 
"  Signior  Bachelor,"  said  his  father,  "  I  give  up  my 
son  to  your  care,  and  confide  entirely  in  you  for  his 
improvement.  I  have  no  inclination  to  make  him  a 
divine ;  a  small  tincture  of  Latin  will,  therefore, 
suffice.  Teach  him  what  is  called  good  manners, 
and  procure  an  able  arithmetician  to  instruct  him  in 
all  kind  of  calculations.     Be  this  your  care." 

I  set  myself  to  work  to  accomplish  the  views  of 
the  Contador,  and  to  lick  the  young  cub,  to  which 
he  desired  I  should  impart  a  form.  I  had  no  small 
trouble  in  teaching  this  hopeful  youth  the  letters  of 
the  alphabet.  He  had  no  more  inclination  for  learn- 
ing than  the  disciple  of  the  Rector  of  Leganez.  I, 
however,  took  such  extraordinary  pains  that  I  had 
the  happiness  of  succeeding  in  enabling  him  to  read, 
tolerably  well,  all  kinds  »f  Spanish  books.  When  I 
communicated  to  his  mother  the  information  of  this 
attainment,  she  was  transported  with  joy.  Although 
she  tenderly  loved  her  son,  she  was  by  no  means 
blind  to  his  imperfections  ;  and,  regarding  the  success 
of  my  lessons  as  an  absolute  prodigy,  ascribed  to  me 
all  the  honour  of  it :  it  obtained  me  both  her  esteem 
and  her  friendship. 

Insensibly,  Portia  (so  was  the  lady  named)  began 
to  admire  me,  and  took  so  much  pleasure  in  my 
company,  that  every  day,  after  the  siesta,*  sl;e  sent 
for  me  into  her  apartment,  under  pretence  of  seeing 
her  son,  whom  I,  on  those  occasions,  carried  to  visit 
her.  She  was  a  woman  of  about  five  and  thirty  at 
most ;  excremely  witty,  but  so  reserved,  that  perhaps 
I  deceive  myself  in  supposing  that  she  indulged  any 
*  The  afternoon  nap  in  which  the  Spaniards  usually  indulge. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  21 

particular  inclination  for  me.  I  could  not,  however, 
help  giving  way  to  such  a  conjecture  ;  and  the  reader 
may  judge  by  what  I  am  about  to  relate,  whether  or 
not  I  was  a  coxcomb  for  thinking  so. 

However  amiable  Portia  appeared  in  my  eyes,  and 
though  she  regarded  me  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give 
very  good  reason  to  suspect  that  she  had  some  design 
upon  me,  I  evinced  no  kind  of  sensibility  to  the  marks 
of  favour  she  bestowed.  My  attention  was  entirely 
engaged  by  her  servant  Nise,  whose  inclination 
corresponding  with  my  own,  rendered  me  perfectly 
indifferent  to  the  advances  of  the  mistress.  I  was  by 
no  means  proof  against  her  keen  and  coquettish  air, 
notwithstanding  the  stock  of  morality  and  virtue 
which  I  had  laid  in  at  the  university.  After  a  few 
amor«us  glances  on  both  sides,  our  intrigue  was 
perfectly  established. 

In  addition  to  many  other  qualifications  which  she 
possessed,  Nise  had  an  uncommon  share  of  ingenuity 
in  contriving  secret  interviews  with  her  lovers  ;  and 
this  was  an  art  particularly  useful  in  a  house  where 
the  greatest  management  was  necessary  to  avoid  the 
resentment  of  a  gallant,  whom  she  was  desirous  of 
quitting  for  me,  or  to  whom,  at  least,  she  was  re- 
solved on  giving  a  partner.  This  slighted  gallant 
was  the  valet-de-cluinibre  of  my  pupil.  Nise,  who 
had  not  perhaps  found  in  his  homage  a  sufficient 
gratification  of  her  vanity,  aspired  to  the  honour  of 
making  a  conquest  of  the  tutor. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  triumphant  over  my  rival  with- 
out even  being  aware  that  I  had  one,  I  went  on  in 
the  quiet  enjoyment  of  my  happiness,  which  was  not, 
however,  long  concealed   from   him.      He  obtained 


22  THE  BACHULOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

some  intimation  of  the  stolen  interviews  which  I  had 
with  his  princess,  and  determined,  in  revenge,  to  effect 
the  ruin  of  us  both.  He  was  silent  at  first,  having 
nothing  more  against  us  than  suspicions,  which,  how- 
ever well  founded,  could  prove  nothing;  he  therefore 
proceeded  with  caution.  He  won  over  to  his  party 
all  the  lackeys  in  the  house;  and  these  gentry, 
commonly  the  enemies  of  tutors,  lent  themselves 
without  much  difficult}'  to  his  projects.  Thus,  sur- 
rounded with  spies,  Nise  and  I  could  not,  with  all  our 
ingenuity,  avoid  being  surprised  in  a  tctc-a-tite. 

This  adventure  caused  a  horrible  outcry  in  the 
house.  All  the  servants  made  themselves  remarkably 
merry  at  my  expense.  The  Contador  himself,  con- 
trary to  the  custom  of  most  of  his  class,  who  are  very 
little  concerned  about  scenes  of  this  kind  occurring 
in  their  houses,  took  up  the  aft'air  as  a  point  of  honour, 
and  flew  into  a  most  violent  passion.  The  lad\',  still 
more  incensed  than  her  husband,  declared  it  an  un- 
pardonable offence.  "  How,"  exclaimed  she,  "a  man 
whom  I  thought  possessed  of  sentiment  and  taste, 
to  degrade  himself  by  an  intrigue  with  a  servant!" 
The  result  was,  that  the  catastrophe  fell  upon  me. 
Portia,  who  was  fond  of  her  Abigail,  or  who  had 
perhaps  confided  in  her  secrecy  on  former  occasions, 
contented  herself  with  scolding  her ;  and  for  my  own 
part,  I  was  ignominiously  dismissed  as  a  sedkicer,  for 
not  having  manifested  nobler  sentiments. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  23 


CHAPTER  VI. 

WHAT    HAPPENED    TO    THE    BACHELOR    ON  QUITTING    THE 

HOUSE  OF   THE  CONTADOR HIS   REFLECTIONS  ON  HIS 

CONDUCT HE  IS  INTRODUCED  BY  HIS  HOST  INTO  THE 

HOUSE  OF  A  WIDOU^ — CHARACTER  OF  THE  LADY — DON 

CHERUBIN  BECOMES   HER   STEWARD REGARD   WHICH 

THE  WIDOW  CONCEIVES   FOR    HIM INTERVIEW    WITH 

THE  DAME  RODRIGUEZ — THE  SUBJECT  OF  THE  INTER- 
yiEW,  AND  WHAT  WAS  THE  RESULT  OF  IT. 

I  WAS  not  inclined,  on  leaving  the  house  of  the 
broker,  to  visit  the  friar  of  the  order  of  Mercy,  who 
would  doubtless  have  reproached  me,  very  justly,  for 
the  conduct  which  had  caused  my  dismissal;  and 
who  perhaps,  viewing  me  only  as  a  miserable  wretch 
whom  he  ought  to  abandon,  would  have  scrupled  to 
interest  himself  any  further  in  my  service.  I  did  not 
even  dare  to  return  to  my  hotel,  where  I  imagined 
that  my  story  was  known ;  for,  when  a  man  has  been 
guilty  of  an  indiscretion,  it  is  common  to  suppose  the 
whole  world  acquainted  with  it.  I  therefore  retired 
into  an  obscure  quarter,  where,  as  I  was  not  without 
money,  I  continued  about  a  fortnight,  deliberating 
what  course  I  should  pursue. 

I  called  to  mind  more  than  once  the  advice  of  the 
Rector  of  Leganez,  with  bitter  repentance  for  having 
neglected  it ;  and,  reflecting  on  my  weakness,  could 
not  think  of  Nise  without  feeling  myself  ready  to 
expire  with  shame.  *'  Fool  !  "  exclaimed  I  to  myself, 
*  was  it  to  make  love  to  waiting  women  that  thou 
becamest  a  tutor  ?  Instead  of  carrying  scandal  from 
house  to  house,  renounce  at  once  an   employment 


24      THE  BACHELOR  OE  SALAMANCA. 

which  thou  dischargest  so  ill ;  or,  if  thou  \vi!t  still 
continue  in  it,  reform  thy  manners,  and  endeavour  to 
obtain  those  virtues  which  are  requisite  for  properly 
filling  it."  In  short,  I  repented  heartily  of  my  fault ; 
and,  by  promising  myself  to  grow  wiser,  began  to  en- 
tertain the  hope  of  really  becoming  so. 

About  this  time,  my  new  host,  having  conceived  a 
friendship  for  me,  was  anxious  to  render  me  a  service. 
"  Signior  Bachelor,"  said  he  one  day,  "  I  am  desirous 
of  }  rocuring  you  a  good  place,  by  fixing  you  in  the 
house  of  a  woman  of  quality,  who  is  bringing  up  her 
grandson  under  her  own  eye."  This  word,  widow, 
made  me  tremble.  "May  there  not  be  some  new 
precipice  in  this  .^  "  I  reflected  to  myself.  "May  not 
the  fiend  be  desirous  of  again  spreading  a  net  for  my 
feet  }"  1,  however,  consoled  myself  with  the  reflec- 
tion that  the  lady  in  question  was  a  grandmother,  a 
crcumstance  which  implied  an  age  ca  culated  to 
throw  a  rein  on  any  illicit  inclinations.  I  therefore 
told  my  host  that  I  should  feel  very  much  obliged  to 
him  for  this  favour. 

"  I  promise  }-ou  I  will  do  it,"  said  he.  "  Doubt  not 
that  I  will  effect  your  business.  I  have  been  servant 
to  this  lady,  and  my  word  will  go  a  great  way  with 
her;  I  will  this  day  propose  you  as  a  tutor  for  the 
young  gentleman."  He  was  as  good  as  his  word  ; 
and  so  loud  was  he  in  my  praise,  that  the  widow  was 
impatient  to  see  me.  When  I  presented  myself,  my 
appearance  was  found  prepossessing,  and  I  was 
immediately  engaged. 

The  name  of  the  widow  was  Donna  Luisa  de 
Padilla.  Her  husband,  who  had  been  a  general 
officer,    was    killed    in   the    low    countries,    fighting 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  25 

against  the  French.  For  a  grandmother,  I  found 
her  well  enough,  without  however  perceiving  any- 
thing dangerous  in  her  charms.  She  had  in  imme- 
diate attendance  upon  her  person  (perhaps  out  of 
polic)')  two  ancient  waiting  women,  whose  decrepi- 
tude served  in  some  degree  to  give  their  mistress  an 
air  of  youth.  One  of  these,  who  was  called  Dame 
Rodriguez,  was  in  the  entire  confidence  of  her  mis- 
tress, and  had  obtained  over  her  the  most  perfect 
ascendency.  I  was  secretly  rejoiced,  and  thanked 
heaven  that,  instead  of  these  antiquated  confidantes, 
Donna  Luisa  had  not  a  pair  of  blooming  young 
maids,  whose  allurements  might  once  more  have  put 
my  chastity  in  danger. 

Established  in  my  new  post,  everything  went  on 
smoothly  at  first.  I  became  very  fond  of  my  scholar, 
who,  joining  docility  to  an  excellent  genius,  acquired 
most  rapidly  the  elements  of  the  Latin  language, 
though  he  was  not  yet  eight  years  of  age.  In  less 
than  six  months  he  made  such  progress  as  com- 
pletely surpassed  my  expectations,  and  procured 
me  several  presents.  Donna  Luisa  desired  my 
acceptance  of  a  gold  watch,  and  shortly  after  sent 
me  a  large  package  of  very  fine  linen,  with  some 
of  the  finest  cloth  of  Segovia,  to  make  an  entire 
suit.  But  all  these  gifts,  which  I  considered  as 
the  result  of  her  gratitude,  proceeded  from  another 
motive,  as  the  reader  will  presently  understand. 

While  engaged  one  morning  with  my  pupil,  I  was 
informed  that  Donna  Luisa  demanded  to  see  me.  I 
flew  immediately  to  her  apartment,  where  I  found 
her  with  her  tv/o  tire-women,  who  were  exerting  all 
their  abilities  to  patch  up  her  decaying  charms.     She 


26  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

was  in  a  dishabille,  sufficiently  immodest  to  be  allur- 
ing, if  it  had  not  at  the  same  time  displayed  where- 
with to  counteract  the  temptation. 

Having  no  farther  business  with  her  women,  she 
motioned  them  to  retire,  and  drawing  me  near  her 
with  a  mysterious  air,  "  Sit  down  there,"  said  she, 
"  and  attend  to  what  I  am  about  to  say  ;  I  have  some 
intentions  in  your  favour,  which  I  am  happy  in  being 
able  to  make  you  acquainted  with.  I  do  not  look 
upon  you  as  one  who  is  fit  for  nothing  but  to  employ 
himself  in  the  education  of  children:  I  think  you 
qualified  for  far  other  matters.  I  have  resolved,  in 
fine,  to  commit  to  you  the  charge  of  my  affairs.  My 
present  steward,  Fr.mcisco  Forteza,  begins  to  grow 
old.  I  design  to  dismiss  him  with  a  pension,  and  to 
put  you  in  his  place,  which  you  will  fill  better  than 
he  ;  though,  at  the  same  time,  it  is  not  my  intention 
that,  in  accepting  this  new  employment,  you  should 
relinquish  that  of  preceptor  to  ni)'  grandson.  You 
may  easily  perform  the  duties  of  both  places  at  the 
same  time." 

I  represented  to  the  lady  that,  never  having  exer- 
cised the  business  of  a  steward,  I  feared  I  should  not 
be  able  to  acquit  myself  so  as  to  afford  her  satisfac- 
tion. "  You  are  mistaken,"  said  she,  "  nothing  is 
easier :  I  have  no  lawsuits  ;  I  owe  nobody  a  Marved  ; 
you  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  receive  my  rents  and 
superintend  the  expenditure  of  my  housekeeping. 
You  need  only,"  continued  she,  "  come  every  morning 
to  my  apartment ;  we  will  set  ourselves  to  work  for 
an  hour  or  two,  and  you  will  very  speedily  become 
acquainted  with  the  routine  of  your  duty."  I  assured 
hor  I  was  perfectly  ready  to  do  whatever  she  desired, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  27 

and  so  took  my  leave,  though  not  without  remarking 
that  my  fair  widow's  eyes  were  sparkh'ng,  and  her 
cheeks  on  fire. 

I  had  too  much  experience,  or,  rather,  I  had  too 
good  an  opinion  of  m)self,  not  to  interpret  these 
s}-mptoms  to  my  own  advantage.  I  suspected  the 
good  lady  of  having  taken  a  fancy  to  me,  and  my 
suspicions  were  speedily  converted  into  certainty.  I, 
one  morning  shortly  after,  received  a  visit  in  my 
apartment  from  Dame  Rodriguez.  She  saluted  me 
with  an  air  of  gaiety,  exclaiming,  "  Heaven  preserve 
you,  Signior  Bachelor !  What  will  you  give  me  for  a 
piece  of  good  news,  of  which  I  am  the  bearer  ? " — 
"Heyday!"  said  I,  "what  have  you,  so  very  good, 
to  acquaint  me  with  .-'  " — "  That  you  are,"  replied  she, 
"the  most  fortunate  of  tutors,  past,  present,  or  to 
come.  You  have  inspired  my  mistress  with  a  passion 
for  you,  and  she  has  permitted  me  to  make  known  to 
you  this  important  secret.  But  what !  "  continued  she, 
perceiving  that  I  was  not  much  interested  in  the 
happiness  she  announced  to  me,  "you  receive  this 
news  with  perfect  indifference !  How  many  men 
would  be  happy  to  be  in  your  place  I  If  my  mistress 
be  past  the  bloom  of  youth,  she  is  not,  thank  God, 
arrived  at  that  dreary  period  of  life,  in  which  the 
company  of  our  sex  ceases  to  be  desirable  to  men." 

"  Oh  !  it  is  not  for  that,  Madam  Rodriguez,"  replied 
I ;  "  I  must  be  out  of  my  senses  if  I  thought  other- 
wise than  yourself  on  that  subject.  Yes,  Donna 
Luisa  has  indeed  abundance  of  charms ;  she  is  at 
most  but  in  the  commencement  of  their  autumn. 
Nevertheless,  I  must  avow,  that  however  highly  I  am 
honoured  by  her  regard,  I  cannot  profit  by  it.    Affairs 


28  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

of  gallantly  are  by  no  means  consistent  in  men  of 
my  description.  Although  I  am  not  yet  in  orders," 
added  I,  with  a  hypocritical  air,  "  it  is  sufficient  that 
1  wear  the  habit  of  an  ecclesiastic." 

"  What  an  idea  have  you  dared  to  express,"  ex- 
claimed Rodriguez,  hastily  interrupting  me;  "what 
a  horrible  injustice  have  you  done  my  mistress! 
Could  she  be  capable  of  indulging  in  an  illicit  in- 
trigue, whom  the  very  shadow  of  crime  inspires  with 
terror.''  If,  unable  to  resist,  she  yield  to  her  love  for 
you,  think  not  that  she  is  inclined  to  gratify  it  at  the 
expense  of  her  virtue.  Sliall  I  tell  you  ? — she  has 
resolved  to  marry  you." 

I  was  a  little  startled  at  these  last  words.  "  Sage 
and  discreet  Rodriguez,"  said  I,  "  even  though  your 
lady  be  it^clined  to  honour  me  with  her  hand,  will 
not  her  relations  exert  themselves  to  prevent  such 
a  marriage?" — "Donna  Luisa,"  replied  the  old  lady, 
"is  mistress  of  her  own  actions.  Besides,  I  presume 
you  are  of  a  noble  family ;  and  she  proposes  to  be 
married  so  privately,  that  nobody  will  know  anything 
about  it."  Finding  that  my  widow  was  really  foolish 
enough  to  resolve  on  carrying  the  thing  so  far,  I 
thought  it  was  not  necessary  that  I  should  be  foolish 
enough  to  oppose  her.  I  desired  Rodriguez  to  thank 
her  mistress  for  her  good  intentions,  and  to  assure 
her  that  I  did  not  mean  to  be  ungrateful  for  them. 
After  giving  the  old  lady  time  to  repeat  my  message 
to  her  mistress,  I  hastened  to  confirm  her  report  in 
person.  "Madam,"  said  I,  throwing  myself  on  my 
knees  before  my  enamoured  widow,  "  is  it  possible 
that  you  can  have  honoured  with  your  regard  a  man 
so  wholly  unworthy  of  possessing  you  .-*     I  cannot 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  29 

think  of  it  without  trembling  for  the  reahty." — "  Do 
not  yourself  blame  me,"  said  she,  "for  what  I  am 
inclined  to  do  for  your  advantage.  When  I  close  my 
eyes  on  what  is  most  reprehensible  in  my  design,  is 
it  for  you  to  open  them  ?  Profit  by  my  weakness 
instead  of  condemning  it.  What  Rodriguez  has  in- 
formed you  is  the  truth  :  you  have  pleased  me,  and  our 
destinies  shall  speedily  be  joined  in  marriage,  if  you 
have  a  just  sense  of  my  kindness." — "Ah!  madam," 
cried  I,  embracing  with  transport  one  of  her  withered 
hands,  "  do  you  think  that  a  man  of  sentiment  can 
repay  with  ingratitude  the  enviable  lot  you  are  dis- 
posed to  confer  upon  me  ?  Be  assured  that  my  sense  of 
obligation  will  be  equal  to  the  excess  of  my  happiness." 
I  accompanied  these  words  with  an  air  and  manner 
the  most  seducing.  I  took  upon  myself  ths  character 
of  a  passionate  lover;  but  if  there  was  art  in  this, 
there  was,  notwithstanding,  a  great  deal  of  nature.  I 
felt  myself  so  penetrated  with  her  kindness,  that  I 
began  to  view  her  faded  beauties  with  a  more  favour- 
able eye. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

NOir    DON  CHERUB  IN,    ON    THE    POINT  OF    BECOMING    TKE 
HUSBAND     OF     DONNA     LUISA,     LOST     ON    A     SUDDEN 

THE    HOPE   OF   EVER    BEING   SO HE    IS    CARRIED    01- F 

BY    FORCE HIS     TERROR     AT    FINDING     HIMSELF    IN 

THE     HANDS     OF     BRAVOES  —  DESCRIPTION     OF     HIS 
SUPPER    AND   COMPANV. 

Donna  LUISA,  delighted  at  finding  me  so  disposed, 
hastened  privately  to  forward  the  preparation  for  our 


30      THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

nuptials;  but,  on  the  evening  before  the  day  which 
had  been  fixed  for  their  celebration,  an  accident  hap- 
pened which  effectually  separated  us. 

As  I  was  returning  home,  and  just  on  the  point 
of  entering  the  house,  four  valientes,  with  the  most 
tremendous  mustachios  that  ever  were  seen  in  Spain, 
"darted  on  me,  and  forced  me  into  a  coach,  in  which 
were  two  others  of  their  fraternity.  They  carried 
me  to  the  extremity  of  one  of  the  suburbs,  caused 
me  to  alight  at  a  house  of  no  very  brilliant  appear- 
ance, and  introduced  me  into  a  hall  which  resembled 
an  arsenal.  Nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  halberds, 
swords,  cutlasses,  guns,  and  pistols.  At  another 
time,  I  should  have  been  pleased  with  the  sight  of  so 
singular  a  place;  but  I  was  too  much  engaged  in 
reflecting  upon  the  peril  in  which  I  conceived  myself, 
with  a  parcel  of  assassins,  the  very  sight  of  whom 
made  my  blood  freeze  in  my  veins.  One  of  these 
bullies,  remarking  my  embarrassment,  began  to 
laugh,  and,  in  order  to  dissipate  my  alarm,  addresesd 
me  in  these  words:  "Signior  Bachelor,  fear  nothing; 
you  are  here  in  good  company.  You  are  with  some 
honest  persons,  who  make  a  profession  of  preserving 
good  order  in  society,  and  maintaining  the  quiet  ot 
families.  It  is  we  who  are  in  reality  the  ministers 
of  justice.  An  ordinary  judge  contents  himself  with 
adhering  strictly  to  the  laws,  whereas  we  sometimes 
make  up  their  deficiency.  The  laws,  for  instance,  do 
not  forbid  a  widow  of  quality  to  marry  a  man  inferior 
to  herself.  It  is,  notwithstanding,  a  degrading  con- 
ducty  for  which  reason  we  do  not  suffer  it ;  and  it  is 
to  prevent  the  just  regret  which  the  family  of  Donna 
Luisa  de  Padilla  must  necessarily  feel,  if  you  should 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  ^i 

become  that  lady's  husband,  that  we  have  taken  you 
into  custody ;  a  course  which  we  have  adopted  at  the 
request  of  one  of  her  nephews,  who  has  promised  us 
a  hundred  pistoles  to  effect  your  separation. 

"It  is  for  you  to  choose,"  continued  the  bravo. 
*'If  you  refuse  to  remove  from  this  widow  and  from 
Madrid,  our  directions  are  to  kill  you;  but  we  are 
allowed  to  spare  your  life,  and  even  to  let  you  off 
without  a  drubbing,  provided  you  will  abandon  this 
business  with  a  good  grace.  You  have  but  to  choose." 
— "  What  do  you  call  choosing.?"  retorted  I  eagerly; 
"do  you  think  me  sufficiently  mad  to  hesitate  for  a 
moment,  under  such  circumstances,  about  quitting 
Madrid,  and  all  the  ladies  in  the  world  ?  I  wish  L 
was  already  far  enough  from  it." — "  I  believe  you," 
replied  the  bravo,  with  a  malignant  sneer ;  "  and 
upon  that  footing  we  are  perfectly  agreed.  You 
shall  sup,  and  pass  the  rest  of  the  night  with  us  at 
table,  and  at  the  break  of  day  two  of  my  comrades 
will  conduct  you  as  far  as  Leganez,  from  whence  you 
will  be  able  to  go  to  Toledo,  at  which  place  I  advise 
you  to  reside.  It  is  a  fine  town,  where  there  are  a 
great  number  of  the  nobility.  You  will  have  your 
choice  of  tutors'  places." 

On  this,  I  informed  these  gentlemen  (so  great  was 
my  impatience  to  be  out  of  their  clutches)  that,  if 
they  would  allow  me  to  go  and  lodge  at  an  inn,  I 
promised,  on  pain  of  falling  again  into  their  hands, 
to  set  out  for  Madrid  before  the  first  dawn  of 
Aurora. 

This  proposal  excited  the  most  immoderate  laughter 
among  the  bravoes.  "You  grow  tired  of  us  dien, 
Signior  Bachelor."  said  one  of  them,  "by  what  I  can 


32  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

perceive.  But  have  a  little  patience  :  it  is  necessary 
to  accommodate  one's  self  to  the  time.  You  will  have 
much  better  cheer  with  us  than  you  could  at  the 
inn ;  and,  among  those  who  will  bear  you  company 
at  supper,  there  will  perhaps  be  some  who  may 
render  the  repast  agreeable  to  you."  I  was  obliged 
therefore  to  make  a  virtue  of  necessity,  since  it  was 
impossible  to  escape.  I  affected  to  appear  resolute, 
and  even  to  laugh  with  these  bravoes,  whose  good- 
humour  gradually  excited  mine,  or  at  least  divested 
me  of  some  portion  of  my  fear. 

Supper  being  ready,  we  passed  into  a  saloon,  where 
there  was  a  sideboard  set  out  with  glasses  and 
bottles,  and  a  large  table  covered  with  all  sorts  of 
viands.  We  sat  down  with  three  ladies,  who  had 
arrived,  and  who,  they  told  me,  were  the  wives  of 
three  of  these  gentlemen ;  which  story,  I  suffered 
them  to  believe,  passed  current  with  me,  though  these 
women  had  an  air  too  free  and  familiar  to  admit  of 
even  so  good  an  opinion  being  formed  of  them. 

They  were  in  a  gay  dishabille,  which  did  not  hide 
from  the  view  that  which,  without  the  last  degree  of 
effrontery,  could  not  be  exposed  to  sight.  For  the 
rest,  they  might  pass  for  three  tolerably  pretty  girls. 
There  was  one  among  them  whom  they  called  La 
Gitanilla,*  doubtless  because  she  was  of  the  Bohemian 
race.  I  never  saw  a  creature,  with  a  countenance  so 
keen  and  expressive  :  her  eyes  were  of  dazzling 
brilliancy,  and  the  vivacity  of  her  mind  equalled  that 
of  her  eyes.  It  is  true  that  she  had  an  intemperance 
of  tongue,  which  sometimes  carried  her  too  far;  but 
this  would  have  been  amply  compensated  by  the 
*  The  gipsy. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  33 

abundance  of  bon  vio'.s  and  pleasant  sallies  which 
escaped  her,  if  these  saUies  and  bon  mots  had  not 
encroached  a  little  upon  delicacy.  In  fine,  while 
listening  to  her,  I  admired  her,  and  could  not  help 
thinking,  that  a  waiting  maid  of  this  kind  in  a  house 
would  have  been  a  terrible  stumbling-stone  for  me. 

Signior  Bachelor  began  to  be  pleased  with  his 
company.  Inspired  by  the  glances  of  La  Gitanilla., 
and  the  wine  which  he  was  ev^ery  moment  obliged  to 
drink,  in  answering  to  the  healths  with  which  he  was 
assailed  from  all  quarters,  he  insensibly  forgot  with 
what  kind  of  people  he  was  getting  drunk.  We 
continued  at  table  till  the  approach  of  day ;  then 
having  taken  leave  of  the  bravoes  and  their  nymphs, 
I  quitted  the  town  with  two  of  the  former,  and  took 
the  route  to  Toledo. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

OF  DON  CHERUBINS    ARRIVAL    AT    TOLEDO,    AND    OF    THE 

FIRST     EDUCATION      WHICH     HE      UNDERTOOK BAD 

CHARACTER    OF    HIS    PUPIL,     WHO     TAKES    A    DISLIKE 
TO  HIM— HOW  HE  COMES  TO  BE  DISMISSED. 

On  arriving  at  Leganez,  one  of  my  companions  said  : 
"  So,  there,  Signior  Bachelor,  in  accompanying  you 
thus  far,  we  have  executed  our  orders  :  do  }'OU,  on 
your  part,  remember  to  keep  your  word  with  us.  Be 
not  again  seen  in  Madrid,  for,  as  you  have  been  before 
informed,  if  you  venture  to  set  foot  in  it  you  are  a 
dead  man." — "  Gentlemen,"  said  T,  "  you  may  boldly 
assure  all  the  nephews  and  grand-nephews  of  Donna 

c 


34  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

Luisa  that  you  have  forever  separated  me  from  her.** 
On  this  my  alguazils  wished  me  a  good  journey,  and 
we  parted  with  mutual  civilities  of  salutation. 

Our  separation  delivered  me  from  a  cruel  fright. 
I  had  felt  apprehensive  that  the  bravoes,  in  bidding 
me  adieu,  would  have  done  me  the  favour  of  empty- 
ing my  pockets.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  they  were 
out  of  sight  I  pulled  out  my  watch,  and  kissing  it,  as 
a  mother  would  kiss  a  beloved  child  just  escaped 
from  shipwreck,  "  My  dear  watch,"  cried  I,  apostro- 
phising it,  "  you  have  escaped  an  imminent  peril.  I 
thought,  I  must  confess,  that  we  should  not  have 
arrived  together  in  Toledo,  and  that  you  were  going 
to  take  the  road  back  to  Madrid." 

I  had,  in  fact,  reason  to  be  surprised  that  they  had 
not  robbed  me,  for  these  rogues  in  general  are  no 
better  than  Bohemians.  Besides  my  watch,  I  had  a 
purse  full  of  doubloons,  which,  in  quality  of  steward 
to  Donna  Luisa,  I  had  received  the  evening  before, 
from  a  person  who  was  in  her  debt,  so  that  they 
would  have  gained  more  by  robbing  me  than  they 
did  by  forcing  me  out  of  Madrid. 

I  did  not  like  to  pass  through  Leganez  without 
calling  on  my  friend  the  rector.  I  anticipated  a  great 
deal  of  pleasure  in  giving  him  an  account  of  my  late 
adventure,  and  in  passing  a  few  days  with  him.  But 
I  was  deceived,  for  I  did  not  meet  with  my  good 
priest,  who,  being  one  of  those  who  admire  residence 
no  more  than  a  bishop,  was  absent  from  home  at  the 
time.  I  was  told  that  he  was  gone  to  Cuen^a,  and 
that  it  was  not  known  when  he  would  return. 

I  continued  my  route  as  far  as  Mosioles,  where  I 
had  the  good  fortune  to  meet  with  a  muleteer  of 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  35 

Toledo,  who  was  retui'nin\5  thither  with  his  mule. 
I  hired  him,  and  pursued  my  journey.  We  were 
joined  near  Illescas  b)'  an  ecclesiastic,  who,  coining 
after  us  on  a  good  horse,  hastened  to  overtake  us, 
that  he  might  have  the  benefit  of  our  company.  We 
saluted  each  other  politely,  and  entered  into  conver- 
sation. My  desire  to  know  who  he  was  made  me 
take  the  liberty  of  asking  him.  "  I  am,"  replied  he, 
"one  of  the  sixty  canons  of  the  church,  commonU' 
called  the  holy  see  of  Toledo." 

At  these  words  I  was  inspired  with  a  most  profound 
respect  for  my  companion,  having  heard  that  a  canon- 
ship  of  this  church  was  worth  two  Italian  bishoprics. 
Finding,  therefore,  that  I  had  the  honour  of  being 
with  a  man  possessed  of  so  important  a  benefice,  I. 
took  a  lower  tone  with  him,  and  began  to  measure 
my  expressions.  I  do  not  know  whetiier  he  remarked 
it,  but  he  did  not  appear  more  vain  or  more  haughty 
than  before.  He  inquired  in  his  turn  who  I  was .-' 
I  replied  that  I  was  a  Bachelor  of  Salamanca;  that 
I  was  coming  from  the  court,  where  I  had  been 
educating  a  young  nobleman,  and  that  I  was  going 
to  Toledo  to  seek  a  new  engagement.  "You  will 
easily  obtain  it,"  replied  the  canon,  "  being,  as  you 
appear,  a  young  man  of  merit." 

We  did  not  cease  conversing  during  our  journey; 
and  when,  having  arrived  at  Toledo,  it  became  neces- 
sary to  part,  he  extended  his  hand  to  me.  "I  shall 
not  bid  you  adieu,  Signior  Bachelor,"  said  he.  "  I  am 
called  the  licentiate  Don  Prosper.  Come  and  see 
me;  I  am  interested  in  your  welfare.  I  will  begin 
to-morrow  to  make  exertions  for  discovering  some 
house  where  your  services  may  be  wanted,  in  which 


36  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

you  will  find  yourself  comfortable."  I  thanked  the 
canon  for  his  kindness  in  interesting  himself  about 
me,  and  went  to  lodge  at  an  inn,  the  merits  of  which 
had  been  much  extolled  by  the  muleteer. 

Four  days  after,  having  supplied  myself  with  a 
fresh  stock  of  linen,  and  got  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  I 
went  to  see  the  canon.  "  I  have  done  your  business," 
said  he.  "  Don  Jerom  de  Polan,  a  knight  of  Calatrava, 
and  my  intimate  friend,  is  in  want  of  a  clever  man  to 
complete  the  education  of  his  only  son,  the  young 
Don  Luis.  I  have  this  place  at  my  disposal ;  will 
you  accept  it  V  ■  I  assured  the  licentiate  that  I  desired 
nothing  better,  and  he  immediately  conducted  me  to 
the  house  of  Don  Jerom  de  Polan.  As  soon  as  this 
gentleman  saw  Don  Prosper,  he  ran  to  him  with  open 
arms,  and  such  demonstrations  of  friendship,  as  gave 
rne  to  understand  that  they  lived  on  terms  of  the 
utmost  intimacy.  The  canon,  after  having  received 
and  returned  half  a  dozen  embraces,  presented  me  to 
Don  jet'ofn,  saying:  "I  understand  that  Don  Luis  is 
without  a  tutor  ;  I  bring  )-ou  one,  for  whom  I  can 
answer.  He  is  a  learned  Bachelor  of  Salamanca, 
who  is  returning  from  Madrid,  where  he  has  been 
educating  a  young  nobleman."  Don  Jerom,  while 
the  canon  was  thus  addressing  him,  regarded  me 
with  attention ;  and  it  appeared  to  me  (without 
vanity  be  it  said)  that  I  passed  well  through  this 
ocular  examination.  It  was  what  I  had  reason  to 
suppose  from  the  thanks  which  he  gave  Don 
P/osper,  for  having  procured  him  a  person  who 
carried  in  his  appearance  his  own  recommendation. 
He  conducted  me  to  his  wife's  apartment,  where  that 
lady  was  sitting  \vith  her  son,  in  whom   I  thought  I 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  37 

perceived  an  air  of  stubbornness,  and  a  servant  maid, 
who  did  not  cause  me  any  uneasiness,  though  she 
M-as  under  twenty  years  of  age.  All  these  persons 
examined  me  thoroughly,  and  I  dare  venture  to  say 
that  my  looks  prepossessed  them  in  my  favour. 

Thus  then  was  I  established  in  this  house,  where, 
being  looked  on  as  a  master  recommended  by  the 
licentiate  Prosper,  I  enjo\ed  during  a  fortnight  all 
the  pleasure  that  a  tutorship  is  susceptible  of.  I  was 
treated  with  attention  by  Don  Jerom  and  his  lady, 
respected  by  the  domestics,  and,  I  thought,  loved  by 
m\'  pupil ;  but  him,  I  was  not  yet  fully  acquainted 
with.  He  had  a  valet-de-chambre^  who,  having  con- 
ceived a  regard  for  me,  said  to  me  one  day  :  "  Signior 
Bachelor,  I  find  you  such  a  civil  gentleman,  that  I 
cannot  avoid  informing  }-ou  of  something  which  it  is 
essential  you  should  know.  You  have  a  very  bad 
subject  to  deal  with,  in  your  scholar.  Don  Luis  is  a 
liar,  and  possesses  a  malignant,  slanderous  disposition. 
He  has  an  especial  aversion  to  his  tutors;  he  cannot 
endure  them,  and  there  is  no  stratagem  that  he  will 
not  resort  to,  to  get  rid  of  them.  The  two  last  he 
had  were  persons  of  distinguished  merit ;  neverthe- 
less, he  managed  his  matters  so  well,  that  they  were 
dismissed." — "By  what  I  can  perceive,"  said  I,  "the 
father  and  mother  idolise  their  .«fon." — "Yes,"  replied 
he,  "he  is  a  spoiled  child;  you  will  find  it  a  difficult 
matter  to  obtain  any  control  over  him." — "  I  will  do 
my  best  for  that  purpose,"  said  I;  "and  if,  after  all,  I 
cannot  accomplish  it,  I  will  go  and  seek  elsewlicre  a 
pupil  more  wertliy  of  my  attention." 

That  I  might  have  nothing  to  reproach  myself 
with,  I  began  to  fulfil  my  essential  duties  with  an 


38  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

assiduity  wliich  approached  to  slavery.  I  left  nothing 
undone  which  could  contribute  to  make  me  loved, 
and  at  the  same  time  feared,  by  my  good  little  man. 
Although  he  was  twelve  years  old,  and  had  had  three 
or  four  masters,  he  was  scarcely  competent  to  the 
simplest  exercises.  I  was  eternally  talking  to  him, 
and  labouring  to  secure  his  attention.  I  endeavoured, 
as  much  as  possible,  to  prevent  his  faults,  or,  if  he 
had  been  guilty  of  any,  I  punished  him  without 
passion,  or  pardoned  him  without  weakness. 

Nevertheless,  with  all  tliis  management,  and  in 
spite  of  all  my  address,  I  experienced  the  truth  of 
what  the  valet  had  said.  Don  Luis  conceived  an 
aversion  for  me,  and  his  hate  increasing  in  propor- 
tion as  I  evinced  zeal  for  his  improvement,  determined 
on  procuring  my  dismissal.  In  order  to  succeed  in 
this,  he  complained  of  me  privately  to  his  parents : 
he  accused  me  of  being  severe  and  unreasonable, 
turned  me  into  ridicule,  and  declared  that,  if  he  were 
not  to  be  delivered  from  his  tyrant,  he  would  never 
make  any  progress  in  his  studies.  To  this  menace 
he  added  a  few  crocodiles'  tears,  and  in  short  played 
his  part  so  well,  that  his  parents,  touched  with  his 
pretended  grief,  took  his  part,  and  turned  his  tutor 
out  of  doors.  It  is  thus  that  fathers  and  mothers, 
through  weakness  for  their  children,  will  sometimes 
dismiss  an  honest  man,  who  has,  perhaps,  discharged 
his  duty  but  too  well. 

To  add  to  my  grief,  on  leaving  this  house  I  went 
to  call  on  the  licentiate  Don  Prosper.  I  wished  to 
represent  to  him  the  bad  qualities  of  the  young  Don 
Luis,  and  detail  the  manoeuvre  he  had  employed  to 
get  me  out  of  the  house  ;  but  the  canon,  who  appeared 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  j9 

to  have  been  prejudiced  by  Don  Jerom,  instead  of 
pitying  me,  heard  me  with  coldness,  and  turned  hi.s 
back  upon  me,  after  teUing  me  diily,  "  that  he  would 
take  care  to  recommend  nO  more  tutors,  at  least 
without  being  previously  well  acquainted  with  them." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

CURIOUS  CONVERSATION  WHICH  DON  CHERUBIN  HAD  WITH 

ONE     OF    HIS    FRIENDS,     A     BISCAY  AN     TUTOR THE 

ADVANTAGE    WHICH     HE    DERIVED    FROM    THAT   CON- 
VERSATION— HE    ENTERS    INTO     THE    SERVICE    OF    A 

MARCHIONESS THAT  LADY's  CAPRICE  AND  SINGULAR 

LOVE    OF   ROMANCES — DON  CHERUBIN  BECOMES   DES- 
PERATELY  IN   LOVE     WITH   HIS     MISTRESS EFFECT 

PRODUCED    BY   HIS   LOVE HE   QUITS    HER    NOTWITH- 
STANDING  HIS  REASONS. 

I  HAD  formed  an  acquaintance  with  a  little  Bis- 
cayan  licentiate,  who  like  myself  exercised  the  pro- 
fession of  a  tutor,  and  who  was  also,  at  this  time, 
without  employment.  His  face  was  not  disagree- 
able, but  his  person  was  so  very  small  that  he  might 
have  been  taken  for  a  dwarf.  To  make  amends,  he 
had  a  considerable  share  of  wit  and  lively  humour. 
He  thought  plcassntly,  expressed  himself  equally  so, 
and  his  expressions  were  rendered  still  more  striking 
by  his  provincial  accent. 

I  liked  particularly  to  hear  him  when  he  was  in  a 
passion ;  and  to  put  him  in  one,  it  was  only  necessary 
to  speak  before  him  of  fathers  and  mothers.  This 
subject    never   failed   to  rouse  him.     "  Parents,"   he 


40  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

would  say  emphatically,  "are  almost  all  ungrateful. 
Listen  to  the  father  of  a  family: — '  I  am  content,'  he 
will  say,  '  with  my  son's  tutor,  and  I  design  to  procure 
him  a  solid  establishment:  but  there  is  no  hurry;  it 
will  be  time  enough  to  think  of  that  when  my  son 
shall  be  out  of  his  hands.'  Is  not  this  the  same," 
Carambola  would  add,  "as  if  he  said,  '  I  will  not  yet 
do  good  to  an  honest  man,  who  is  at  the  present 
moment  rendering  me  service,  who  has  already 
merited  my  bounties  ;  I  will  think  about  his  fortune 
when  he  will  no  longer  be  before  my  eyes,  when  I 
shall  have  nothing  more  to  remind  me  of  him  '  ?  " 

Such  were  the  amusing  tirades  with  which  the 
Biscayan  regaled  me  from  time  to  time,  and  of  which 
I  failed  not  to  take  advantage.  Meeting  him  one 
evening  on  the  promenade,  he  came  up  to  me  with 
an  air  of  great  gaiety.  "What  is  the  matter  with 
you?"  said  I;  "by  your  jo}'ous  a-r,  one  would 
suppose  that  you  had  discovered  some  admirable 
employment." — "  There  is  something  in  that,"  said 
he,  "  I  have,  in  fact,  discovered  a  place  which  suited 
me  most  admirably;  but,  unfortunately,  they  did  not 
find  me  suited  to  the  place." — "  I  do  not  comprehend 
you,"  said  I;  "speak  more  clearly." — "You  must 
know,  then,"  replied  he,  "that  having  yesterday 
learned,  from  public  report,  that  a  lady  was  in  want 
of  a  tutor  to  begin  the  education  of  her  son,  who  is 
not  more  than  five  years  old,  I  went  this  morning  to 
offer  her  my  services,  which  were  rejected.  I  was 
told  that  I  was  too  little." — "  How  then,"  interrupted 
I.  laughing.  "  to  get  into  this  lady's  house  is  it  neces- 
sary to  be  six  feet  high?" — "Yes,"  replied  Caram- 
bola;   "the  lady  wishes  for  a  young  man  of   fine 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  41 

figure,  and  desires,  besides,  that  he  should  be  ver\' 
young  ;  for,  though  I  am  but  three  and  thirty,  I  was 
too  old  for  her." 

I  redoubled  m)^  laughter  at  this,  and  judged  that 
the  lady  in  question  must  be  some  silly  creature. 
When  I  expressed  this  opinion  to  the  licentiate,  he 
replied  with  a  serious  air  :  "  No,  no,  she  is  a  woman  of 
very  good  sense  ;  a  prude,  who  knows  how  to  con- 
ciliate her  taste  for  pleasure  with  her  regard  for  her 
reputation,  and  would  have  a  lover  in  the  tutor  of  her 
son." — "What  is  her  name  ?"  I  asked.  "  She  assumes," 
said  he,  ''the  title  of  Marcliioness.  Her  husband  is 
a  captain  in  Lombardy.  That  is  all  I  know  about 
her.  For  the  rest,  I  can  assure  you  that  she  is  a 
fme  woman,  and  appears  to  have  a  great  deal  of 
wit.  Are  you  not  curious  to  see  her  1" — "You  have 
inspired  me  with  a  wish,"  replied  I,  "and  I  have  a 
mind  to  go  and  present  myself  to-morrow  to  this  said 
Marchioness." — "  I  exhort  you  to  do  so,"  cried  he  ; 
"and  I  am  persuaded  that  you  are  the  preceptor 
whom  she  wants." 

I  did  not  fail  to  call  the  following  day  on  the 
captain's  lady,  to  whom  I  caused  myself  to  be  an- 
nounced by  the  title  of  Bachelor  of"  Salamanca.  An 
old  female  attendant,  who  bore  some  resemblance  to 
Rodriguez,  introduced  me  into  a  closet,  where  her 
mistress  was  occupied  in  reading.  She  suspended 
her  study  at  the  sight  of  me,  and  inquired  my  busi- 
ness. "  Madam,"  replied  I,  "  I  have  been  informed 
that  you  are  in  want  of  a  tutor  for  your  son,  and  I 
take  the  liberty  of  offering  myself  to  fill  that  situation, 
if  my  services  be  agreeable  to  you."  The  lady,  at 
these  words,  fixed  her  eyes  steadfastly  upon  me;  nor 


42  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

was  I  less  attentively  considered  by  the  waiting 
woman,  and  I  could  perceive  that  my  figure  had 
found  in  them  two  favourable  judges  :  I  appeared  in 
their  eyes  quite  a  different  man  from  Carambola. 

"  How  old  are  you,  Signior  Bachelor  ?  "  asked  the 
lady.  As  I  remembered  that  the  licentiate  had  been 
thought  too  old  at  thirty-three,  I  boldly  replied  that 
I  was  but  twenty-two  years  of  age,  though,  in  fact,  I 
had  already  completed  twenty-six.  "  So  much  the 
better,"  said  the  Marchioness  ;  "  I  wish  for  a  tutor 
who  is  young.  I  have  that  particular  fancy.  But 
do  not  deceive  me,"  continued  she  ;  "  are  you  a  young 
man  of  sober  habits?  for,  I  assure  you,  I  could  by  no 
means  endure  a  libertine  who  would  be  going  out 
every  day  to  seek  amusements  in  the  town.  I  desire 
a  sedate  man,  and  one  who  will  bring  up  my  son 
under  my  own  eye." 

"  I  am,  then,  exactly  the  man,  madam,"  said  I. 
"Although  I  am  of  an  age  in  which  the  passions  are 
on  fire,  my  reason,  aided  by  the  profitable  studies  1 
have  pursued,  keeps  a  rein  over  them,  so  that  I  fear 
nothing  from  their  sallies.  Independent  of  that,  I 
have  no  acquaintance  in  Toledo,  particularly  female 
acquaintance  ;  thus,  bounding  my  pleasures  to  the 
education  of  your  son,  I  shall  devote  myself  to 
nothing  but  the  cultivation  of  that  young  plant,  if 
you  will  entrust  me  with  the  care  of  it." 

"  I  shall  be  very  well  satisfied  with  you,"  replied 
the  cp.ptain's  lady,  "  if  you  pursue  so  sensible  a 
conduct.  •  I,  therefore,  choose  you  to  instruct  and 
govern  my  son.  With  regard  to  your  salary,"  she 
added,  "be  under  no  uneasiness:  I  shall  regulate  that 
in  proportion  to  your  zeal  and  your  services."     She 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  43 

delivered  these  words  with  an  air  so  modest  and 
reserv^ed,  that,  in  spite  of  m\'  vanit}',  I  could  not  suffer 
myself  to  be  prejudiced  against  her  virtue,  nor  flatter 
myself  with  the  hope  of  attracting  her  attention. 

To  perform  the  part  of  a  faithful  historian,  I  must 
confess  that  I  was  struck  with  the  charms  of  the 
Marchioness,  who  was  not  yet  five  and  thirty  years 
of  age.  Her  beauty  appeared  to  me  ravishing.  I 
felt,  without  knowing  why,  a  secret  joy  at  being- 
engaged  in  this  house,  to  which  I  proceeded  with  all 
expedition  to  remove  my  effects.  I  met  the  little 
licentiate  in  the  street,  where  he  was  induced  by 
curiosity  to  wait  for  me.  "  Well,  my  friend,"  said  he, 
"how  has  the.  Marchioness  received  you  .-*  " — "She 
could  not  have  done  so  better,"  replied  I,  "  and  I  have 
to  inform  you  that  I  am  preceptor  to  her  son." 

At  these  words  Carambola  began  laughing.  "  I 
was  not  wrong,"  cried  he,  "  in  supposing  that  your 
youth  and  person  would  have  their  proper  effect. 
What  a  deal  of  pleasure  you  will  have  with  this  lady  !" 
— "  Oh  !  softly  there,  Master  Licentiate,"  interrupted 
I,  penetrating  his  thought;  "do  not  judge  so  un- 
charitably of  her.  For  my  own  part,  I  believe  her  to 
be  virtuous;  at  least,  she  shows  a  fair  outside.  Why 
tax  with  hypocrisy  an  air  of  so  much  prudence  ?  If 
we  must  not  trust  to  fair  appearances  altogether, 
neither  ought  we  to  condemn  them."  —  "You  are 
right,"  said  he  ;  "'  I  may  be  deceived,  but  I  would  lay 
a  wager  that  I  am  not," 

I  returned  some  hours  after,  with  my  effects,  to  the 
house  of  the  Marchioness,  and  took  possession  of  an 
apartment  prepared  for  my  scholar  and  myself  I 
requested  to  see  the  child,  and  he  was  brought  to  me 


44  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALA^fANCA. 

by  the  old  woman  whom  I  had  before  seen,  and  who 
acted  as  his  governess.  I  thought  him  very  hand- 
some. He  was  in  leading-strings,  and  could  but  just 
lisp.  What  a  pupil  for  a  Bachelor  of  Salamanca! 
A  proud  pedagogue  in  my  place  would  have  refused 
to  debase  himself  so  much  as  to  teach  the  letters  of 
the  alphabet ;  but  I  looked  on  the  matter  in  another 
point  of  view,  and,  as  Aristotle  took  credit  to  himself 
for  being  the  first  instructor  of  Alexander,  so  I  made 
it  my  glory  to  be  so  to  a  young  marquis. 

I  entered  into  conversation  with  the  old  governess, 
whose  name  was  Sephora.  "  Signior  Bachelor,"  said 
she,  "  I  am  very  glad  that  your  person  has  pleased 
my  lady.  Nothing  less  than  a  man  like  yourself 
could  have  met  her  approbation,  such  is  the  delicacy 
of  her  taste.  There  have  been  here  twenty  tutors  to 
present  themselves,  all  of  whom  have  been  rejected, 
though  there  were  among  them  some  very  agreeable 
persons.  You  will  not  regret,"  she  continued,  "having 
come  into  this  house.  The  Marchioness  is  rich  and 
generous.  In  a  word,  your  fortune  is  made,  provided 
}'ou  pay  my  mistress  a  great  deal  of  attention,  and 
yield  with  a  blind  complaisance  to  her  opinions.  Ic 
is  her  weakness,  I  must  tell  you  :  profit  by  it,  and, 
above  all  things,  accommodate  yourself,  if  you  can, 
to  her  foible  of  being  passionately  fond  of  books  of 
knight-errantry.  Shall  you  be  capable  ©f  entering 
into  these  sentiments  .-^  " — "Without  doubt,"  replied 
I;  "it  will  be  by  no  means  difficult  to  flatter  her 
infatuatio::,  for  I  am  myself  extremely  fond  of  books 
of  that  description." — "  In  that  case,"  said  she,  "\oii 
will  charm  her:   that  you  may  rely  on." 

In  truth  I  had  discovered,  in  the  very  first  con- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  45 

versation  I  had  with  the  Marchioness,  that  she  had 
her  memory  stuffed  with  rags  and  tatters  of  romances. 
She  spoke  to  me  of  nothing  but  Roland  the  Amorous, 
the  Knight  of  the  Sun,  Amadis  of  Gaul,  Amadis  of 
Greece,  and,  above  all,  of  the  incomparable  knight, 
Don  Quixote  de  la  Mancha,  and  of  a  number  of 
other  works  of  the  same  kind,  which  formed  her 
whole  delight,  and  constituted  the  contents  of  her 
library.  Although  I  was  not  exactly  of  her  mind 
about  these  extravagant  productions,  I  pretended  to 
be  so,  and  bet  these  romances  above  all  the  books  in 
the  world.  Perhaps,  indeed,  I  was  nnself  the  dupe, 
and  the  lady  only  affected  to  have  her  head  turned 
with  these  kind  of  books  in  order  to  gain  her  ends. 
However  this  may  be,  if  she  had  confined  her  folly  to 
the  pleasure  of  reading  these  nothings,  I  should  always 
have  had  complaisance  enough  to  flatter  her  in  de- 
fiance of  good  sense ;  but  she  carried  it  still  further. 

"  Signior  Bachelor,"  said  she,  as  I  entered  her 
apartment  one  day  while  she  was  reading  Don 
Belianis  of  Greece,  "  I  am  enchanted  with  what  I 
have  been  reading.  How  well  do  Don  Belianis  and 
Florisbella  understand  the  art  of  love!  What  deli- 
cacy in  their  sentiments  I  How  touching  are  their 
expressions.     I  am  still  all  in  a  tremor." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,  madam,"  said  I ;  "  nothing 
can  be  better  calculated  to  rouse  the  feelings.  I  am 
like  yourself;  I  find  myself  enchanted  when  I  read 
some  passages  in  certain  books  of  chivalry  ;  they 
throw  my  mind  ilvJc  a  disorder,  a  kind  of  rapture," — 
"What  do  I  hear.^"  interrupted  the  Marchioness 
with  an  air  of  emotion,  "Is  it  possible  that  I  have 
met  with  a  n^an  as  sensible  as  myself  to  the  pleasures 


46  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

of  romances,  and  that  that  man  should  be  you  ?  I 
am  so  much  the  more  delighted,  as  I  now  hope  to 
have  a  lover  who  will  devote  himself  to  me,  and 
serve  me  in  the  quality  of  a  knight-errant.  I  make 
choice  of  you,  my  dear  Bachelor.  Let  us  become, 
you  the  hero,  and  I  the  heroine  of  chivalry.  Take 
me  for  your  mistress,  and  I  will  love  you  as  my 
knight.  Let  us  sigh  for  each  other  :  let  us  burn  with 
a  flame  as  ardent  as  that  which  consumed  the  Prince 
of  Greece  and  his  mistress." 

She  accompanied  her  discourse  with  demonstrations 
so  enticing,  that  poor  Don  Cherubin,  who  had  already 
found  the  lady  but  too  amiable,  became  most  des- 
perately in  love  with  her.  Instead  of  shunning  this 
infatuated  woman,  I  had  the  weakness  to  lend  myself 
to  all  these  fooleries.  Adieu  my  reason !  Behold 
the  Bachelor  of  Salamanca  changed  into  a  knight- 
errant.  The  Marchioness  and  I  began  to  talk  in  the 
style  of  the  heroes  of  romance.  I  assumed  the  char- 
acter of  the  Knight  of  the  Sun,  and  she  that  of  the 
Princess  of  Lindabrides.  We  had,  every  day,  con- 
versations supported  in  the  elevated  strain  ;  but  it 
happened  unfortunately,  sometimes,  that  the  heroine 
became  a  little  too  tender,  and  the  hero  too  fond. 

Whilst  I  was  thus  living  with  the  Marchioness,  like 
Reginald  in  the  palace  of  Armida,  I  heard  a  piece  of 
news  which  dispelled  my  enchantment :  I  was  told 
that  Captain  TorbelHno,  the  husband  of  my  princess, 
was  on  the  point  of  arriving  from  Lombardy,  and  it 
was  intimated  to  me  at  the  same  time  that  he  was 
a  man  of  violent  and  jealous  temper.  To  avoid  all 
discussion,  and  not  being  (although  a  knight-errant) 
Ht  all  fond  of  duelling,  I  took  the  wise  resolution  of 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  17 

removing  to  a  distance  from  Toledo;  a  proceeding 
the  more  judicious,  as  there  was  an  old  servant  in 
the  house  completely  devoted  to  his  master,  whose 
reports  might,  very  probably,  have  exposed  me  to 
become  a  victim  to  his  resentment. 


CHAPTER  X. 

OUR  BACHELOR    BECOMES   PRECEPTOR   TO   THE  NEPHEW  OF 

A    JEWELLER    IN  CUEN^A BY  HIS   OWN  EXERTIONS, 

AND  THOSE  OF  SIGNIOR  DIEGO  CINTILLO,  HIS  SCHOLAR 
BECOMES  A   FRIAR HE  RETURNS   TO  MADRID. 

I  SET  out  privately  from  Toledo  one  morning  with  a 
muleteer  who  was  going  to  Cuen^a,  one  of  the  mo;3t 
celebrated  towns  in  Spain.  A  'iQ.\N  days  after  my 
arrival,  the  master  of  the  inn  where  I  lodged,  told  me 
that  he  knew  an  old  priest,  who  undertook  to  procure 
situations  for  tutors,  on  consideration  of  a  certain 
sum,  which  he  exacted  in  return  for  his  services  ;  and 
this  sum  was  to  be  more  or  less  considerable,  accord- 
ing to  the  value  of  the  place. 

I  made  myself  acquainted  with  the  priest's  address, 
and,  calling  on  him,  demanded  if  he  knew  of  any 
tutor's  place  vacant.  He  answered  that  there  were 
several;  and  when  I  told  him  tl  at  I  was  a  Bachelor 
of  Salamanca,  he  cried  :  "  That  is  your  eulogy  in  a 
single  word  ;  I  need  know  nothing  more  about  you, 
I  will  present  you  to  Signior  Diego  Cintillo,  the 
richest  and  most  famous  jeweller  in  Cuenga.  He  is 
in  search  of  a  sensible  and  well-conducted  man,  under 
whose  care  he  wishes  to  place  a  nephew  of  hi.s,  to 


48  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

whom  he  is  guardian.  I  think  that  you  will  suit  him 
exactly." 

The  old  priest  took  me  immediately  to  call  on 
Signior  Cintillo,  to  whom,  though  he  knew  nothing 
of  me,  he  undertook  to  be  responsible  for  me,  and 
who  directly  received  me  into  his  house,  on  the  foot- 
ing of  fifty  pistoles  a  year  salary,  an  offer  which  I 
deemed  it  prudent  to  accept,  until  something  better 
should  offer.  The  jeweller  was  a  man  who  affected 
a  great  deal  of  devotion.  He  had  always  a  rosary  in 
his  hand,  passed  a  great  portion  of  the  day  in  church, 
and  reconciled  with  all  that  the  business  of  an  usurer, 
w.hich  he  exercised  so  secretly  that  nobody  in  the 
town  was  ignorant  of  it. 

In  order  to  please  this  personage,  I  took  care  to 
put  on  a  pious  exterior,  which  agreed  most  admirably 
with  his  own  hypocrisy.  He  called  his  nephew,  a 
youth  of  about  eighteen,  and  presenting  him  to  me, 
said :  "  Here  is  the  scholar  I  have  to  place  under 
your  care  :  he  already  knows  how  to  read  and  write  ; 
he  even  understands  a  little  Latin.  Instruct  him  in 
philosophy,  and,  above  all  things,  direct  him  to  the 
love  of  virtue,  for  that  is  the  matter  of  most  import- 
ance." 

My  new  scholar  was  named  Chrysostom.  He  had 
such  a  muddy  conception,  that  I  could  not  help  telling 
his  uncle  that  I  did  not  find  in  my  scholar  the 
slightest  inclination  to  profit  by  my  precepts,  and, 
in  fact,  that  I  wholly  despaired  of  making  him  a 
philosopher.  "Be  not  discouraged,"  replied  he;  "I 
know  very  well  that  my  nephew  is  a  dull  subject.  I 
shall,  therefore,  not  be  so  unjust  as  to  complain  of 
you,  if  you  should  be  unable  to  render  him  learned. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  49 

"Between  ourselves,"  continued  he,  "I  have  it  in 
view  to  make  a  friar  of  Chrysostom.  I  think  him 
born  for  the  frock."  Here  I  interrupted  the  jeweller. 
"Ah  !  Signior  Diego,"  said  I,  "be  very  careful  not  to 
force  the  inclination  of  your  nephew :  the  number 
of  bad  friars  already  in  existence  does  not  want 
augmenting."  —  "What  are  you  saying?"  cried 
Cintillo,  with  an  air  of  astonishment.  "  God  forbid 
tiiat  I  should  constrain  the  inclinations  of  Chr\->ostom, 
and  make  him  a  recluse  in  spite  of  himself  Do  me 
more  justice;  I  desire  only  his  good.  Not  thinking 
him  formed  for  the  world,  I  should  be  happy  that  he 
would  embrace  the  monastic  life  of  his  own  accord. 
Assist  me,  I  entreat  you,  to  turn  his  mind  that  way. 
I  double  your  salar}%  in  the  hope  of  engaging  you  to 
second  my  intentions.  Let  us  unite  to  persuade  him 
to  this  course,  which  is  in  reality  the  best.  How 
happy  should  I  be  to  behold  my  nephew  living 
piousl}.'  in  a  monastery!" 

The  good  jeweller  had  not  told  me  all.  Besides 
the  pleasure  he  promised  himself,  in  having  a  new  St. 
Chr\-sostom  in  his  family,  he  was  not  sorry  to  see  a 
nephew  devote  himself  to  religion,  to  whose  property 
he  by  that  means  became  heir.  I  now  entered  into 
his  views,  being  paid  for  doing  so,  and  took  upon 
myself  the  office  of  a  preacher.  I  began  to  declaim 
against  the  world,  and  to  extol  to  my  pupil  the 
sweetness  of  a  monastic  life.  Cintillo,  on  his  side, 
was  eternally  preaching  to  him  the  same  thing;  till  at 
length  the  poor  boy,  stunned  with  our  sermons,  which 
he  stupidly  believed  to  the  very  letter,  commenced 
his  novitiate,  in  about  ten  months,  at  the  Convent  of 
the  Fathers  of  St.  Dominic,  where,  persevering  in  his 


50  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

fervour,  his  uncle  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  him 
profess,  and  of  becoming  heir  to  all  his  fortune.  The 
good  Signior  Diego,  having  then  no  further  need  of 
me,  paid  me  my  salary;  which  I  had  very  well 
earned,  for  I  had  been  every  day  to  see  Chrysostom 
(iu.ing  his  novitiate,  in  order  to  confirm  him  in  his 
laudable  sentiments.  Thus  Cintillo  and  I  parted, 
perfectly  satisfied  with  each  other. 

Shortly  after,  I  quitted  Cuenga,  in  consequence  of 
a  piece  of  information  which  was  given  me,  and  which, 
I  conceive,  I  ought  not  to  pass  over  in  silence.  One 
day  that  I  was  walking  along  the  street,  wrapped  up 
in  meditation,  I  found  myself  tapped  gentK'  on  the 
shoulder,  and,  on  turning  my  head,  perceived  a  man 
whom  1  recognised  as  one  of  the  two  bravoes  who  had 
conducted  me  from  Madrid  to  Leganez.  I  trembled 
at  the  sight  of  this  bird  of  ill  omen,  and  exclaimed  : 
"  J  low  now,  Signior  Bully  !  am  I  again  so  unfortunate 
as  to  have  you  at  my  heels  ?  have  I,  not  persevered 
in  banishing  myself,  agreeably  to  my  promise.'*" — 
"  Pardon  me,"  replied  he,  laughing ;  "  }ou  are  a  man 
of  )-our  word,  and  we  have  no  longer  anj  thing  to  do 
witli  each  other;  I  can  even  assure  you  that  you  may 
return  to  Madrid,  if  you  think  proper." 

"  I  understand  you,"  said  I  ;  "  Donna  Luisa  is  dead, 
I  suppose  } " — "  No,"  replied  the  bravo,  "  she  is  still 
alive,  and  you  may  renew  your  acquaintance  with 
her,  if  your  heart  be  so  inclined.  We  shall  not  pre- 
vent you.  I  will  tell  you  the  reason  ;  it  is  that  our 
company  has  separated,  on  account  of  a  dispute 
which  arose  between  two  of  u.'v^about  La  Gitanilla, 
that  little  brunette  whom  you  supped  with  one  night, 
and  whom  you  thought  so  pretty.     They  fought  to- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  51 

gether,  to  decide  which  of  the  two  should  have  the 
sole  possession  of  her,  and  they  had  the  misfortune 
to  be  both  run  through  the  body.  This  event  has 
caused  a  general  separation,  and  each  of  us  retired 
whither  he  pleased." 

I  was  very  much  delighted  with  this  news,  and  I 
did  not  fail  shortly  to  put  myself  on  the  road  to 
Madrid  ;  having  so  much  the  more  desire  to  see  this 
town,  as  it  had  been  forbidden  me,  on  pain  of  death, 
ever  to  set  foot  in  it  again. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DON  CHE  RUBIN  RETURNS  TO  MADRID,  WHERE  HE  ACCI- 
DENTALLY MEETS  A  MAN  WHO  AFFORDS  HIM  SOME 
INFORMATION  RELATIVE  TO  DONNA  LUISA  DE  PADILLA 

THAT  LADY   INTRODUCES   HIM   INTO    THE   SERVICE 

OF    THE    DUKE     DE     UZEDA     IN    QUALITY    OF     UNDER 

SECRETARY ACQUAINTANCE    WHICH   HE   MADE  WITH 

DON  JUAN  DE  SALZEDO THAT  GENTLEMAN'S  FOIBLE 

DESCRIPTION  OF  A  BALL  A  T  WHICH  DON  CHER  UBIN 

WAS  PRESENT — HE  SETS  OUT  FOR  NAPLES  IN  QUALITY 
OF  COURIER  EXTRAORDINARY  TO  THE  COUNT  DE 
URENNA. 

I  HAD  scarcely  arrived  in  Madrid  ere  I  met  by  acci- 
dent with  my  ancient  host,  Martin  Cinquillo,  he  who 
iiad  placed  me  in  the  service  of  Donna  Luisa  de 
Padilla.  We  easily  recognised  each  other.  "  Signior 
Bachelor,"  said  he,  with  an  air  of  astonishment,  "is  it 
possible  that  I  behold  you  once  more,  safe  and  sound, 
after    the    adventure    which    happened    to    you?     J 


52  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

thought,  I  confe-s,  that  the  bravoes  who  cairied  you 
awa}-  had  taken  your  life,  and  Donna  Luisa  actually 
considers  you  among  the  dead.  What  pleasure  it 
will  give  her  to  hear  that  you  are  still  alive!  Call  on 
me  to-morrow,"  added  he,  "and  I  will  apprise  you  how 
she  has  received  this  piece  of  information." 

Curious  to  know  in  what  manner  this  lady  would 
be  affected  by  my  return  to  Madrid,  I  failed  not  on 
the  following  day  to  call  at  Cinquillo's  house,  where 
I  found  Dame  Rodriguez  waiting  my  arrival.  As 
soon  as  this  good  lady  saw  me,  she  embraced  me 
with  tears  in  her  eyes,  exclaiming:  "Welcome  back. 
Den  Cherubin.  Alas!  both  my  mistress  and  myself 
had  given  up  the  hope  of  ever  seeing  you  again.  We 
imagined  that  the  family  of  Padilla,  irritated  against 
you,  had  had  the  cruelty  to  sacrifice  you  to  their 
resentment.  How  afflicted  have  we  been  in  this 
opinion !  What  tears  has  Donna  Luisa  shed  for 
your  sake  !  J  udge  by  the  grief  she  has  felt  at  your 
absence,  how  great  must  be  her  joy  at  your  return. 
I  come  to  assure  you  of  it  on  her  part,  and  to  con- 
vince you  that  she  is  disposed  to  render  your  fortune 
agreeable  and  happy. 

"It  is  not,"  pursued  Rodriguez,  "that  she. still 
entertains  the  design  of  marrying  you.  Thank  heaven, 
her  eyes  are  opened  to  the  folly  of  such  a  marriage, 
and  the  ridicule  to  which  it  would  expose  ker.  In  a 
word,  she  has  entirely  given  up  the  idea;  but  she 
would,  out  of  friendship,  put  you  in  the  way  of 
making  a  fortune,  by  placing  you  in  the  house  of 
the  Duke  de  Uzeda,  her  relation,  and  the  favourite  of 
the  Iving.  She  flatters  herself  with  having  sufficient 
interest  to  get  you   received  among  this   minister's 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  53 

secretaries.  You  are  sensible  of  the  importance  of 
such  a  post ;  and  I  doubt  not  that  you  will  be  happy 
to  fill  it,  at  least  if  it  be  not  )'Our  intention  to  con- 
secrate yourself  to  the  service  of  the  church." — "  No, 
no ! "  replied  I,  "  I  have  no  such  intention.  I  feel 
that  I  have  virtue  enough  to  be  a  secretary,  but  not 
of  having  enough  to  make  a  good  priest." — "  That 
being  the  case,"  said  Rodriguez,  "lay  aside  your 
present  dress  and  adopt  that  of  a  la)man." — "  That 
is  what  I  can  promise  to  do,"  replied  I,  "  without  the 
slightest  hesitation  ;  for  I  am  beginning  to  tire  of 
the  office  of  preceptor,  which  I  conceive  one  that  no 
respectable  man  ought  to  hold  but  as  a  matter  of 
necessity."  I  therefore  laid  aside  my  ecclesiastical 
habit,  and  speedily  entered  into  the  office  of  the 
prime  minister  ;  a  single  word  from  Donna  Luisa  to 
her  niece.  Donna  Maria  de  Padilla,  Duchess  de  Uzeda, 
having  been  sufficient  to  obtain  me  the  appointment. 
As  soon  as  I  was  installed  in  my  new  post,  I 
expressed  to  Dame  Rodriguez  my  desire  of  seeing 
her  mistress,  in  order  to  return  her  thanks  ;  but  she 
informed  me  that  Donna  Luisa  would  dispense  with 
this  piece  of  attention.  "After  what  has  passed 
between  you,"  said  she,  "she  deems  it  prudent  to 
forbid  you  her  presence,  lest  she  should  again  expose 
you  to  any  unpleasant  treatment.  She  wishes  to  pro- 
tect }'ou  without  seeing  you  ;  a  conduct  which  will 
not  expose  her  to  th6  censure  of  her  relations :  you 
ought  to  give  her  credit  for  her  prudence." — "To 
that,"  said  I,  "  my  dear  Rodriguez,  I  have  nothing 
to  reply ;  and  since  I  am  not  allowed  personally  to 
return  thanks  to  Donna  Luisa,  do  you,  at  least,  assure 
her  that  I  am  penetrated  with  the  most  lively  grati 


54  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

tude  for  her  kindness."  At  bottom  I  was  not  much 
grieved  that  my  protectress  refused  to  see  me;  for  if 
I  had  been  estabhshed  on  the  footing  of  paying  her 
visits,  I  might  very  probably  have  found  myself  shortly 
enp-acred  in  an  affair  with  a  new  set  of  bravoes,  who 
would  perhaps  have  treated  me  worse  than  their 
predecessors. 

As  I  wrote  a  tolerably  good  hand,  having  learned 
to  write  at  Salamanca,  I  was  employed  in  my  office 
in  making  fair  copies  of  ail  kinds  of  despatches.  I 
became  acquainted  with  the  clerks,  and  had  even  the 
honour  of  attracting  tlie  particular  friendship  of  Don 
Juan  de  Salzedo,  principal  secretary  to  the  Duke  de 
Uzeda.  This  Don  Juan  was  not  deficient  of  sense, 
but  he  had  the  defect  of  being  rather  too  fond  of 
Latin,  and  of  eternally  quoting,  on  all  occasions, 
passages  from  Horace,  Ovid,  &c.  Whenever  we  met 
he  accosted  me  with  some  Latin  sentence,  and  to 
accommodate  myself  to  his  foible,  I  alwa\'s  replied  in 
the  same  language.  By  this  method  I  completely 
won  his  esteem  ;  a  convincing  proof  that  in.  order  to 
please  it  is  only  necessar\'  to  compl}'  with  the  humour 
of  our  companions.  "  Don  Cherubin,"  said  he  one 
day,  "  I  have  a  regard  for  j'ou,  and  whenever  I  shall 
find  occasion  to  give  you  proof  of  it,  I  will  seize  on  it 
hibcnti  anwio."  Fortune  ordained  that  the  occasion 
should  speedily  present  itself;  but  it  is  necessary  to 
detail  the  circumstances  which  gave  rise  to  it. 

One  evening,  at  a  grand  ball  given  by  the  Duchess 
de  Uzeda,  at  her  palace  in  the  great  square,  where  the 
bull-fights  are  exhibited,  it  happened  that  I  was  of 
the  party.  There  were  present  a  great  number  of 
•aoblemen,  and  also  of  the  most  handsome  ladies  of 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  55 

the  court.  It  might  have  been  supposed  that  a 
selection  had  been  made  of  the  most  amiable  persons 
in  the  kingdom,  to  form  so  charming  an  assembly. 

Before  the  commencement  of  the  ball,  the  ladies 
shared  indifferently  the  admiration  of  the  men  ;  but 
no  sooner  had  the  company  witnessed  the  dancing  of 
Donna  Isabella  de  Sandoval,  the  only  daughter  of  the 
Duke  de  Uzeda,  than  she  engrossed  the  attention 
of  all.  Every  one  admired  the  gracefulness  of  her 
planner,  her  noble  and  majestic  air,  the  lightness  of 
her  step,  the  sjmimetry  of  her  person,  and  the  fineness 
of  her  ear.  Thus,  no  sooner  had  she  finished  the 
dance,  than  the  hall  resounded  with  applause.  "  She 
is  inimitable,"  said  a  marquis.  "  Why  have  we  not 
such  a  dancer  in  our  theatres .?  I  would  take  her 
under  my  protection,  cost  what  it  would." — "  I  would 
entreat  her  to  ruin  me,"  said  a  count.  "I  would  beg 
of  her  the  preference,"  said  a  duke.  In  a  word,  the 
whole  company  was  enchanted  with  this  new  Terpsi- 
chore, nor  was  I  the  least  delighted  of  the  number. 

It  may  easily  be  supposed  that  so  rich  and  noble 
an  heiress  was  not  Jikely  to  want  admirers.  Among 
those  who  aspired  to  the  honour  of  espousing  Donna 
Isabella,  no  one  had  better  reason  to  flatter  himself 
with  hopes  of  success  than  Don  Juan  Telles  Giron, 
Count  de  Urenna,  the  only  son  of  the  Duke  de  Ossuna 
and  certainly  the  most  worthy  of  preference.  This 
young  nobleman  fulfilled  the  duties  of  Gentleman  of 
the  King's  Bedchamber  for  his  father,  who  was  then 
at  Naples,  of  which  he  was  governor. 

While  the  lovers  of  the  Duke  de  Uzeda's  daughter 
were  essaying,  by  their  attentions,to  recommend  them- 
selves to  notice,  that  minister  sent  for  the  Count,  and 


56  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

thus  addressed  him:  "Don  Juan,  you  are  aware  of 
the  strict  friendship  which  exists  between  your  father 
and  mx'self,  and  the  interest  I  take  in  all  that  concerns 
the  welfare  of  your  house;  I  have  requested  this 
interview  in  order  to  represent  that  you  ought  to 
profit  by  the  opportunity  presented  you,  while  fortune 
is  in  a  good  humour.  The  Duke  de  Ossuna  has  more 
enemies  than  ever:  they  are  labouring  incessantly  to 
effect  his  ruin,  and  it  is  to  be  feared  that  they  may 
succeed  in  their  purpose.  While  his  credit  is  yet 
good,  you  ought  to  think  of  establishing  yourself; 
you  are  of  an  age  to  marry,  and  even  to  enter  upon 
important  employments.  It  is  now  twelve  months," 
continued  he,  "since  your  father  wrote  to  me,  request- 
ing that  I  would  seek  a  wife  for  you."  I  answered 
him,  "  that  I  had  already  fixed  on  one  ;  but,  as  nothing 
has  since  passed  on  the  subject  between  us,  I  am 
ignorant  whether  he  be  still  in  the  same  mind." — "  Do 
not  fail,"  added  he,  "to  recount  to  him  what  I  have 
said  to  you,  and  to  assure  him,  that  if  he  desire  a 
daughter-in-law  at  my  hand,  I  have  it  in  contempla- 
tion to  give  him  one  rich  enough,  handsome  enough, 
and  noble  enough  to  deserve  such  a  father-in-law  as 
himself." 

At  this  discourse,  the  Count,  rightly  judging  that 
Isabella  was  the  daughter-in-law  alluded  to,  mani- 
fested such  lively  joy,  as  afforded  considerable  satis- 
faction to  the  Duke  de  Uzeda.  Without,  however, 
appearing  to  notice  it,  he  continued  :  "  Send  immedi- 
ately a  despatch  to  Naples,  and  the  answer  of  the 
Viceroy  will  decide  the  affair  of  your  marriage." 
The  Count,  to  evince  the  impatience  he  felt  to  be- 
come his  son-in-law,  immediately  took  leave  of  his 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  57 

Excellency,  telling  him  "that  he  would  forthwith 
write  to  his  father,"  and  went  direct!}-  to  Don  Juan 
de  Salzedo,  whom  he  esteemed  as  an  ancient  servitor 
of  his  house,  and  without  whose  counsel  he  never  did 
anything  of  importance.  After  acquainting  him  with 
the  conversation  he  had  just  had  with  his  Excellenc}', 
he  said  :  "  I  know  not  whom  I  can  send  to  Naples  ;  I 
shall  want  a  sensible  and  confidential  person,  who 
may  make  known  to  my  father  a  thousand  things 
which  I  dare  not  venture  to  commit  to  writing." 

Salzedo,    recollecting    me,   and    considering  it   an 
opportunity  of  throwing  a  good  windfall  in  my  way, 
proposed  me  as  a  person  well  qualified  to  execute 
the  commission ;  on  which  the  Count,  being  content 
to  avail  himself  of  my  services,  expressed  a  desire  to 
see  me.     In  a  private  conference  which  I  had  with 
him,  he  instructed  me  in  all  that  he  was  desirous  his 
father  should    be  informed  of;    after  which,  having 
received   from    this    young   nobleman    two   packets, 
one  for  the  Duke,  and  the  other  for  the  Duchess  de 
Ossuna,  with  a  purse  containing  two  hundred  pistoles, 
I  prepared  to  set  out  for  Italy  ;  but  before  my  depar- 
ture, I  went  to  take  leave  of  the  secretary  Salzedo, 
who  said,  affectionately  embracing  me,  "Go,  my  dear 
Don  Cherubin  ;  I  am  delighted  that  you  are  about  to 
take  this  voyage  ;  it  will  produce  you  a  good  allow- 
ance of  pistoles  et  lavina  videlis  littora"     I  then  set 
out  from  Madrid;  and,  following  close  upon  a  courier 
whom  the  Count  had  despatched  to  Naples,  arrived 
nearly  as  soon  as  he. 


58  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

11^  WHAT  MAI^I^ER   DON  CHERUB  IN  WAS   RECEIVED  BY  THE 
VICEROY    OF    NAPLES,     AND     OF    THE    CONVERSATION 

THEY  HAD    TOGETHER HE   RECEIVES   CONSIDERABLE 

PRESENTS  FROM  THE  DUKE  AND  DUCHESS,  BY  WHICH 
HE  IS  OVERWHELMED  WITH  JOY — HE  RETURNS  TO 
MADRID. 

The  Duke  de  Ossuna  had  been  three  years  Viceroy 
of  the  kingdom  of  Naples,  after  having  governed 
Sicily  four.  I  alighted  at  the  royal  palace  in  which 
he  resided,  and  caused  myself  to  be  announced 
to  his  Excellency  as  a  courier  despatched  by  his 
son  the  Count  de  Urenna.  The  Viceroy  was  at  that 
moment  in  his  closet,  into  which  he  caused  me  to  be 
introduced.  I  presented  him  the  packet  with  which 
I  had  been  entrusted.  After  reading  the  contents, 
"  These,"  said  he,  "  are  despatches  of  a  most  agreeable 
nature,  and  not  the  less  so  for  being  presented  by  a 
secretary  of  the  Duke  de  Uzeda  himself.  But  tell 
me,  I  entreat  you,  is  the  daughter  of  this  minister 
possessed  of  all  the  merit  which  my  son  attributes  to 
her.''  I  place  no  very  great  reliance  on  the  portraits 
which  lovers  draw  of  their  mistresses." — "  My  lord," 
replied  I,  "  in  whdtever  colours  your  son  may  have 
painted  Isabella  de  Sandoval,  the  copy  cannot  fail 
to  be  inferior  to  the  original.  In  a  word,  however 
great  an  idea  you  may  form  of  this  lady's  charms, 
your  imagination  cannot  carry  you  above  the  truth. 
Picture  to  yourself  a  creature  of  fifteen,  who  joins  to 
a  beauty  the  most  perfect,  a  sprightly  wit  and  solid 
judgment; — ihis  idea  will  but  include  a  part  of  the 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  59 

transcendent  qualities  of  Isabella.  It  is  true  that  she 
has  not  the  serious  disposition  and  the  gravity  by 
which  the  Spanish  ladies  are  generally  distinguished; 
but  this  imperfection  (which  is  only  one  in  Spain) 
will  meet  with  toleration  from  your  Excellenc}-." — 
"You  are  right,"  replied  the  Duke,  smiling;  "  Spaniard 
though  I  am,  I  prefer  a  lively  disposition  to  a  grave 
one." 

In  this  part  of  our  conversation,  the  Duchess, 
who  had  been  informed  of  the  arrival  of  a  courier 
despatched  by  Don  Juan  Telles,  entered  the  closet, 
full  of  impatience  to  learn  some  news  of  her  dear  son. 
"  Madam,"  said  her  husband,  "a  most  advantageous 
offer  is  held  out  for  the  Count  de  Urenna  ;  the  Duke 
de  Uzeda  offers  to  make  him  his  son-in-law,  in  prefer- 
ence to  all  the  great  noblemen  who  seek  the  alliance 
of  his  only  daughter  Isabella."  I  then  delivered  to 
the  Vice-Queen  her  packet,  which  contained  only  a 
repetition  of  the  same  things  which  had  been  detailed 
in  the  other.  As  soon  as  they  had  read  it,  they 
began  to  deliberate,  not  whether  they  should  consent 
to  the  marriage,  but  what  steps  they  were  to  take  on 
the  occasion.  They  resolved  on  sending  me  back  to 
Madrid  on  the  following  morning,  to  testify  to  the 
Duke  and  Duchess  de  Uzeda  the  impatience  they  felt 
for  the  alliance  of  the  houses  of  Giron  and  Sandoval : 
it  was  likewise  determined  that  they  should  write  to 
the  Duke  de  Lerma  and  to  Donna  Isabella. 

They  spent  the  day  in  preparing  their  despatches; 
and  as  Don  Juan  had  written  to  his  father  that  I 
could  instruct  him  on  several  points  necessar)-  for 
him  to  know,  I  had  in  the  evening  an  interview  with 
his    Excellency,  longer  than  the   preceding.     "Give 


6o  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

me,"  said  he,  "  a  faithful  account  of  all  that  the 
Count,  my  son,  has  desired  }-ou  to  inform  me.  You 
are  about,  I  suppose,  to  speak  of  the  last  letter  I 
wrote  to  the  kin<j;  you  will  tell  me,  perhaps,  that  it  dis- 
gusted the  greater  part  of  the  grandees," — "  Exactly 
so,  my  lord,"  replied  I  ;  '"  it  is  there  I  would  begin. 
In  proposing  to  render  places  vendible  in  Spain,  you 
have  raised  the  council  against  you.  which,  being 
principally  composed  of  grandees  interested  in  reject- 
ing, was  of  course  very  little  inclined  to  approve  of 
such  a  measure.  What  is  most  to  be  regretted," 
added  I,  "is  that  these  grandees  do  not  content  them- 
selves with  merely  opposing  the  sale  of  places;  they 
indulge  in  murmurs,  and,  by  means  of  secret  contri- 
vances, endeavour  to  propagate  the  opinion  that  }'ou 
are  an  enemy  to  the  nation.  They  are  even  seconded 
by  the  Neapolitan  noblemen,  who,  in  concert  with 
them,  are  continually  writing  letters  to  the  Court, 
calculated  to  render  )-ou  suspected." 

The  Duke  de  Ossuna  at  this  passage  could  not 
refrain  from  interrupting  me.  "  These,"  cried  he,  with 
a  sigh,  "these  are  the  faithful  subjects,  who  are  always 
declaring  that  they  are  ready  to  spill  their  blood  and 
to  sacrifice  their  property  for  the  good  of  their  sove- 
reign. If  the  king  were  to  sell  those  places  which 
he  now  bestows  gratuitously,  what  family  in  the 
kingdom  would  lose  more  than  my  own  }  I  sacrifice 
to  the  profit  of  the  monarch  my  relations  and  my 
friends ;  I  have  only  his  interest  in  view,  and  yet  of 
I  his  they  make  a  crime.  Such  is  the  recompense  of 
lliose  servants  whose  fidelity  is  greatest. 

"  Continue,"  pursued  he  ;  "  I  am  very  well  content 
with  the  choice  my  son  has  made,  in  appointing  you 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  6i 

to  instruct  me  as  to  what  is  passing  at  Court  to  my 
prejudice.  You  acquit  j'ourself  of  the  task  perfectly 
to  my  satisfaction — continue  therefore.  What  further 
injustice  do  they  do  me?" — "The  most  alarming,' 
replied  I,  "and  the  most  touching  that  can  be  done 
to  a  faithful  subject  of  King  Philip  ;  it  is  said  that 
you  have  formed  the  ambitious  project  of  rendering 
yourself  King  of  Naples."  The  Duke  at  this  accu- 
sation shut  his  eyes,  shrugged  up  his  shoulders,  and 
asked  me  who  could  possibly  be  the  enemy  capable 
of  accusing  him  of  so  culpable  a  design.  "  The  Count 
de  Benevento,"  said  I,  "and  some  other  grandees 
spread  this  report,  which  your  armaments,  or,  to  speak 
more  properly,  your  glorious  actions,  and  the  services 
you  have  rendered,  appear  to  justify.  There  are 
those  points  in  your  administration,  of  which  they 
are  jealous,  which  will,  they  say,  be  sufficient  to  form 
matter  for  a  process  against  you." — "  I  am  in  the 
wrong,"  again  interrupted  his  Excellency ;  "  I  am  in 
the  wrong.  I  ought  to  have  followed  the  examples 
of  former  viceroys  of  Naples  and  Sicily :  I  ought  to 
have  suffered  both  kingdoms  to  be  ravaged  by  the 
Turks  ;  to  have  enriched  myself  at  the  expense  of 
the  king  and  his  subjects,  and  then  have  returned  to 
Court,  there  to  be  thanked  for  my  judicious  govern- 
ment. Oh,  unhappy  monarchy!"  added  he,  lifting 
up  his  e\'es  to  heaven,  "  must,  then,  those  who  serve 
thee  with  the  greatest  ardour,  and  who  seek  only  to 
augment  thy  glory,  be  stigmatised  as  thine  enemies !  " 
After  this  apostrophe,  full  of  bitterness,  the  Duke 
put  other  questions  to  me.  "  Tell  me,"  said  he,  "who 
are  the  grandees  who  are  at  present  most  in  confi- 
dence with  the  Prince  of  Spain  ? "     I  mentioned  to 


62  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

him  several,  and  did  not  omit  Don  Gaspard  de 
Guzman  de  Olivarez.  "It  is  this  last/'  said  I,  "  who 
appears  to  be  most  in  favour.  It  is  true,  if  one  may 
believe  the  report  of  Madrid,  that  he  takes  a  sure 
method  of  gaining  the  friendship  of  the  young  Philip." 
— "  What  method  is  that  ?  "  inquired  the  Duke.  "  It 
is,"  said  I,  "  the  application  of  that  which  procures 
success  to  all  enterprises — money.  It  is  said  that  the 
Count  de  Olivarez,  who  has  an  immense  fortune,  em- 
ploys a  great  part  of  it  in  procuring  for  the  young 
prince  those  pleasures  which  the  avarice  of  the  king 
denies  him.  Perhaps,"  added  I,  "  the  report  is  correct ; 
at  least  I  know  that  the  Prince  of  Spain,  when  engaged 
in  the  pleasures  of  the  chase,  often  finds  superb  colla- 
tions, prepared  by  the  care  and  at  the  expense  of 
Don  Gaspard." — "  Ay  !  "  said  the  Viceroy,  shaking  his 
head,  "  Olivarez  is  well  acquainted  with  the  means  of 
supplanting  the  Duke  de  Lerma  and  his  son.  I  hope 
that  my  prediction  may  prove  false  ;  but  if  it  should 
so  happen,  they  will  have  only  themselves  to  thank 
for  it.  Why  do  they  suffer  near  the  person  of  the 
heir  of  the  Crown  a  courtier  so  polished  and  so 
subtle,  who  is  seizing,  before  their  eyes,  the  helm  of 
government .'' " 

When  the  Duke  de  Ossuna  had  exhausted  all  the 
questions  he  wished  to  ask  me,  he  delivered  me  his 
despatches,  saying  :  "  Go  and  repose  yourself,  and  to- 
morrow morning  set  out  on  your  return  to  Spain  ;  but 
before  you  go,  pay  a  visit  to  my  treasurer  ;  I  have 
given  him  some  directions  concerning  you."  This 
was  the  first  thing  I  did  the  next  morning.  The 
treasurer  put  into  my  hands,  on  the  part  of  his  Excel- 
lency, a  bill  of  exchange  for  three  thousand  crowns, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  63 

payable  at  sight.  Besides  this  present,  I  received 
another,  which  was  brought  me  from  the  Vice-Queen 
by  one  of  her  gentlemen-ushers:  it  was  a  gold  chain 
of  exquisite  workmanship,  and  which  was  worth  at 
least  two  hundred  pistoles.  I  set  out  from  Naples 
with  all  these  riches,  and  resumed  the  route  to  Madrid, 
where  I  had  the  happiness  of  arriving  without  en- 
countering any  accident. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

DON  yUAN  DE    TELLES   MARRIES    THE   DAUGHTER    OF   THE 

DUKE  DE  UZEDA CONSEQUENCE  OF  THIS  MARRIAGE 

OF  THE  NEW  COURSE  TAKEN  BY  DON  CHERUB  IN. 

The  first  thing  I  did  was  to  render  an  account  of 
my  expedition  to  Don  Juan  Telles,  who  embraced 
me  with  joy  as  soon  as  he  had  read  his  father's  letter. 
This  young  nobleman,  to  convince  me  how  well  he 
was  satisfied  with  me,  or,  more  properly,  with  the 
news  which  I  brought  him,  rewarded  me  with  a  purse 
in  which  were  two  hundred  doubloons. 

He  immediately  went  to  communicate  to  the  Duke 
de  Uzeda  the  despatches  of  the  Viceroy,  and,  two 
days  after,  his  marriage  with  Donna  Isabella  was 
made  public.  Preparations  were  made  with  a 
magnificence  suitable  to  the  dignity  of  the  parties  ; 
and  the  Duke  de  Uzeda  testified  as  much  impatience 
for  the  completion  of  it,  as  had  been  manifested  by 
the  Duke  de  Ossuna.  The  relations  and  friends  of 
the  houses  of  Giron  and  Sandoval  celebrated  it  with 


64  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

the  most  lively  demonstrations  of  joy,  and  certainly 
Hymen  could  never  have  united  two  persons  more 
fit  for  each  other. 

No  sooner  were  the  rejoicings  finished  than  the 
Viceroy  wrote  to  the  Duke  de  Uzeda  that,  to  arrive 
at  the  entire  completion  of  his  wishes,  he  had  only 
one  to  be  fulfilled,  which  was  that  of  having  his  dear 
daughter-in-law  near  him  ;  that  he  begged  him  to 
send  her  to  see  Italy,  and,  in  particular,  the  city  of 
Naples,  and  finally,  that  to  render  this  journey  the 
more  agreeable  to  the  young  bride,  he  wished  that 
her  husband  should  accompany  her,  if  such  were  tiie 
pleasure  of  his  Majesty.  The  son  of  the  Cardinal  de 
Lerma  entered  into  the  sentiments  of  the  Duke  de 
Ossuna,  and  obtained  permission  from  his  Majesty  to 
send  his  daughter  to  Naples,  together  with  the  Count 
de  Urenna.  The  preparations  for  their  departure 
were  speedily  made,  the  Viceroy  having  expressly 
forbidden  his  son  to  have  a  numerous  and  splendid 
suite.  They  shortly  set  out  for  Barcelona,  where  two 
vessels,  sent  b}^  the  Duke  de  Ossuna,  waited  to  convey 
them  to  Genoa,  from  whence  Don  Octavio  de  Aragon 
was,  with  eight  galleys,  to  conduct  them  to  Naples. 

It  is  very  seldom  that  a  beggar  becomes  rich  with- 
out suffering  himself  to  grow  giddy  with  the  con- 
templation of  his  wealth.  I  was  not  proof  against 
this  weakness.  When  I  came  to  count  my  cash,  and 
saw  that  I  had  before  me  nearly  two  thousand  pistoles, 
I  took  a  dislike  to  my  post  of  secretary.  It  appeared 
to  me  that  a  young  man  who  possessed  so  much 
money  ought  to  lead  a  life,  free,  independent,  and 
;ibove  all  inactive,  such  as  is  generally  indulged  in 
by  the  honest  people  of  Spain.     ''Since,"  said  I,  "I 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  65 

can  live  like  a  gentleman  and  act  the  gallant  in  the 
world,  I  should  be  a  great  fool  to  remain  in  the  offices 
of  ministers,  where  one  must  consume  ihe  day  in 
labour.  It  is  far  more  a,'';reeable  to  have  nothing  to 
do  but  to  walk  about  and  amuse  one's  self  with  one's 
friends."  It  was  thus  that,  )'ielding  to  the  inclination 
by  which  I  found  myseli  impelled,  I  suffered  mysel 
to  be.  drawn  into  libertinism,  without  my  philosophy 
being  able  to  save  me.  On  the  contrary,  I  would 
listen  to  none  of  its  remonstrances,  and  when  I  bade 
adieu  to  the  Secretary  Salzedo,  all  that  he  could  say 
to  induce  me  to  retain  my  post  in  the  office,  though 
full  of  sense  and  ornamented  with  Latin,  was  thrown 
aA'ay.  I  hired  a  handsome  apartment  in  a  furnished 
hotel,  and  had  made  two  rich  suits  of  clothes,  in  which 
1  walked  out  alternately  to  show  myself  at  Court  and 
on  the  Prado. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

DOiV  CHERUBIN  MEETS  WITH  THE  LITTLE  LICRNTIATR 
CARAMBOLA OF  HIS  INTERVIEW  WITH  HIM PLEA- 
SANT ADVENTURE  WHICH  HAPPENS  TO  THE  LICEN- 
TIATE  WHAT  WAS  THE  CONSEQUENCE  OF  IT. 

One  day,  being  on  the  public  walk,  where  I  amused 
myself  with  ogling  the  ladies,  I  observed  the  little 
Biscayan  licentiate  whom  I  had  left  at  Toledo.  He 
did  not  at  first  know  me  in  my  new  dress.  However, 
I  called  to  him,  and  he  came  over  and  embraced  me. 
"  I  am  delighted,"  said  I,  "  my  dear  friend,  that  fortune 
has  again  brought  us  together."     Instead  of  making 

E 


66  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

me  any  reply,  Carambola  set  his  eyes  wide  open,  and 
began  attentively  to  review  me  from  head  to  foot. 
Then  bursting  into  a  loud  fit  of  laughter — *'  Here  is 
a  metamorphosis,"  exclaimed  he.  "  You  in  the  dress 
of  a  cavalier !  Who  has  induced  }'ou  to  quit  the 
cassock  for  the  sword  'i  I  am  strongly  inclined  to 
think  that  it  has  been  that  handsome  marchioness 
at  whose  house  you  were  tutor  in  Toledo ;  it  is 
she,  apparently,  who  has  robbed  the  church  of  the 
Bachelor  Don  Cherubin."  I  informed  him  that  he 
was  mistaken.  "  You  are  then,"  said  he,  "  amusing 
yourself  with  some  rich  widow  who  shares  with  you 
the  contents  of  her  purse.  Tell  me  the  truth :  have 
you  not  met  here  with  some  piece  of  good  fortune  of 
this  description  ?  " 

"  If  you  will  listen  to  me  a  moment,"  said  I,  "  I  will 
satisfy  j'our  curiosity."  As  soon  as  he  gave  me  leave 
to  speak,  I  related  to  him  what  had  occurred  to  me 
since  our  separation.  I  then  requested  him  to  inform 
me,  in  his  turn,  what  he  was  then  doing  in  Madrid. 
"  Still  the  business  of  teaching,"  said  he  ;  "I  am 
unfit  for  any  other.  I  am  condemned  to  the  tutor- 
ship, or,  to  speak  more  justly,  to  the  galleys  for  my 
life.  While  you  were  at  the  Marquis  de  Torbellino's, 
and  passing  your  time  very  agreeably,  I  found  my- 
self on  the  pai'^  without  money,  oi  at  least  on  the 
point  of  wanting  it ;  I  therefore  abandoned  Toledo 
as  a  town  which  was  becoming  every  day  more  dis- 
gusting to  me.  I  arrived  at  Madrid,  where  I  found 
the  means  of  getting  into  the  house  of  a  rich  citizen, 
who  was  a  widower  and  who  had  a  son  of  about 
twelve  years  of  age.  This  citizen  was  seldom  at 
home ;  he  always  went  out  to  dine  and  sup,  a  circum- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  67 

utance  which  by  no  means  tended  to  improve  our 
ordinary  at  home,  A  woman  of  about  five-and-forty, 
who  had  the  management  of  his  house,  provided  our 
meals. 

"  Oh,  the  abominable  cook  !  Sometimes  she  put  too 
much  salt  into  her  ragouts,  and  at  other  times  an 
equal  superabundance  of  pepper,  cloves,  or  saffron. 
It  was  useless  for  me  to  complain  ;  the  old  devil  had 
the  malice  never  to  mend  her  hand.  I  even  thought 
that  she  did  it  purposely  to  disgust  me  with  the 
house  and  oblige  me  to  quit  it,  having  taken  an 
aversion  to  me — I  know  not  for  what  reasoji,  unless 
that,  in  my  behaviour  to  her,  I  had  somewhat  the  air 
of  a  Cato. 

"  For  my  own  part,  out  of  spite  to  this  old  sorceress, 
I  persisted  in  remaining  in  the  house,  where  I  should 
probably  have  been  still,  but  for  an  accident,  such  as 
perhaps  never  happened  to  any  preceptor  before. 
One  day  that  I  had  received  about  twenty  pistoles, 
I  went  into  a  tennis  court,  which,  indeed,  I  could 
seldom  keep  out  of  while  I  had  a  crown  remaining. 
Fortune,  who  is  generally  rather  averse  to  me,  was 
on  this  occasion  favourable.  I  won  ten  doubloons, 
which  were  no  sooner  in  my  pocket  than  I  took  it 
into  my  head  to  go  and  give  a  supper  to  two  ladies 
with  w'nom  I  had  become  acquainted,  and  who  lived 
in  the  Sun  Gate.  I  went  to  visit  them  wath  this 
laudable  in*:ention,  after  having  bespoken  a  very 
respectable  supper  at  a  tavern. 

"  I  was  received  by  these  ladies  with  the  more  good 
will,  as  I  was  in  the  habit  of  regaling  them  when  I 
favoured  them  with  my  visits.  We  began  to  converse 
with  great  gaiety,  and  as  soon  as  the  supper  which  I 


68  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

had  ordered  arrived,  we  sat  down  to  table,  I  ex- 
pected to  have  plenty  of  amusement  for  my  money, 
but  on  a  sudden  the  door  opened,  and  in  a  visitor 
who  suddenly  entered,  I  recognised  the  citizen  whose 
son  I  was  educating.  When  he  perceived  me  his 
surprise  was  not  less  than  my  own.  We  remained 
for  a  moment  mute  with  astonishment,  an  looked 
at  each  other  as  if  we  doubted  the  evidence  of  our 
own  senses.  But  the  confusion  into  which  we  were 
thrown  lasted  not  long  ;  we  recovered  ourselves  im- 
mediately, and,  getting  over  the  shame  of  meeting 
in  such  a  place,  burst  into  such  immoderate  fits  of 
laughter  that  the  ladies  took  us  for  two  very  intimate 
friends  who  had  accidentally  met  together  in  their 
company. 

"  ♦  By  what  I  can  perceive,'  said  one  of  the  nymphs, 
'you  are  acquainted  with  each  other!' — 'We  ought, 
indeed,  to  be  well  acquainted,'  replied  the  citizen ; 
'  we  see  each  other  every  day  ;  we  dine  together 
sometimes,  and  we  sleep  under  the  same  roof:  it  was 
only  wanting  to  us  to  have  friends  in  common — we 
have  now  nothing  more  to  wish  for.'  The  air  of 
raillery  with  which  he  uttered  these  words  put  me  in 
the  humour  for  jesting  likewise,  an  inclination  in  which 
I  indulged  at  all  hazards,  determined  to  outface  the 
citizen,  if  he  should  take  me  to  task  about  our  ren- 
counter. But,  instead  of  evincing  the  least  discontent 
on  the  subject,  he  sat  down  with  us  at  table,  saying 
•with  an  unembarrassed  air,  that  he  did  not  suppose 
he  should  make  too  many  in  the  company.  In  fact, 
he  was  in  so  good  a  humour  that  he  appeared  to 
me  extremely  agreeable.  He  drank  my  health,  and 
showed  me  a  thousand  little  attentions.     Insensibly, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  69 

I  forgot  that  I  was  with  the  father  of  my  pupil,  and 
we  drank  together  most  jovially. 

"When  it  was  time  to  retire,  we  took  leave  of  the 
ladies  and  returned  home.  When  we  had  arrived 
there,  the  citizen,  addressing  me,  said  :  '  Signior  Licen- 
tiate, I  have  no  quarrel  with  you  for  going  to  visit  the 
ladies  at  whose  house  we  met  to-night,  but  be  careful, 
I  pray  you,  not  to  take  my  son  there. 

Carambola  could  not  help  laughing  at  these  last 
words,  and  his  laughter  was  accompanied  by  my  own. 
"This  was,"  said  I,  "an  admirable  father,  and  the 
house  an  excellent  one  for  a  tutor." — "  I  quitted  it 
notwithstanding,"  said  Carambola,  "  for  the  honour  of 
my  character:  I  did  not  think  it  consistent  that  a 
vicious  licentiate  should  remain  in  a  house  where  he 
was  known.  I  am  now  in  another  place.  I  am 
bringing  up  the  natural  son  of  a  member  of  the 
Council  of  the  Indies  ;  and  I  am  in  hopes  that  his 
education  will  be  more  useful  to  me  than  that  of  a 
legitimate  child." — "  I  wish,"  rejoined  I,  "  that  you 
may  not  be  flattering  yourself  with  a  vain  hope;  but 
you  have  told  me  a  hundred  times,  one  must  not 
reckon  too  much  on  the  gratitude  of  parents." — "That 
is  but  too  true,"  replied  the  little  licentiate.  "  How- 
ever, those  whom  I  have  to  deal  v/ith  at  present 
appear  so  generous,  thit  I  cannot  avoid  placing  great 
confidence  in  them." 


70  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

DOHr  CHERUBJN  BECOMES  ACQUAINTED    WITH  AN  AMIABLE 

GENTLEMAN,   NAMED    DON    MANOEL    DE   PEDRILLA 

IN  WHAT  WAY  THEY  PASSED  THEIR   TIME  TOGETHER 

OF  THE  AGREEABLE  SURPRISE  WHICH  DON  CHERUBIN 
MET  WITH  ONE  EVENING  WHILE  SUPPING  WITH  TWO 
LADIES. 

Our  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  a 
gentleman  with  whom  I  had  formed  an  acquaintance, 
and  who,  at  this  moment,  joined  me  on  the  promenade. 
"  I  bid  you  not  adieu,"  said  the  Riscayan  ;  "  we  shall 
see  each  other  again."  He  then  retired,  leaving  me 
in  the  company  of  my  new  friend,  who  was  named 
Don  Manoel  de  Pedrilla.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  the 
town  of  Alcaraz  on  the  confines  of  New  Castille,  about 
my  own  age,  and  of  an  agreeable  person.  The  desire 
of  seeing  the  Court  had  brought  him  to  Madrid.  He 
lodged  in  the  same  hotel  with  myself;  we  used  to 
dine  at  the  same  table,  and  go  every  day  together  to 
the  public  walks  and  places  of  amusement.  In  a 
word,  we  became  so  attached  to  each  other  that  we 
were  inseparable. 

One  morning,  as  we  were  sitting  together  in  his 
apartment,  there  entered  a  little  footboy  who  delivered 
him  a  letter.  Don  Manoel  read  it,  and  then  said  to 
the  bearer:  "  My  child,  you  may  assure  your  mistress 
that  I  will  not  fail  to  be  there."  Then,  addressing 
me — "  Don  Cherubin,"  said  he,  "  I  am  to  sup  this 
evening  at  the  house  of  two  ladies,  where  I  am  at 
liberty  to  introduce  a  friend  :  are  you  inclined  to 
accompany  me  thither?"     I  accepted  the  invitation, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  71 

telling  Don  Manoel  with  a  smile,  that  I  thanked  him 
for  the  preference  he  had  given  me.  "You  ought 
so,"  said  he,  smiling  in  his  turn  ;  "the  favour  I  propose 
you  is  well  deserving  of  thanks.  Know  that  you  are 
to  sup  with  two  ladies  who  are  highly  amiable  and 
interesting :  their  manners  are  dignified  ;  they  are 
two  women  of  quality,  vi^ho  live  together  at  their 
common  cost,  and  in  the  French  fashion.  Their 
house  is  open  to  men  of  honour,  who  are  admitted  to 
play  and  sup  there." — "  And  they  requite  themselves, 
doubtless,"  said  I,  laughing,  "  with  the  profits  of 
the  game." — "  Of  that  I  know  nothing,"  replied  he. 
"Perhaps  they  may  have  lovers  who  supply  them 
secretly  with  the  means  of  supporting  their  expendi- 
ture; but  there  is  no  appearance  of  any  such  thing: 
nothing  is  to  be  seen  about  them  which  can  render 
their  virtue  liable  to  suspicion." 

I  asked  the  names  of  these  ladies.  "  One,"  said  he, 
"is  called  Ismenia,  and  the  other,  Basilisa.  They 
give  themselves  out  as  widows  of  two  gentlemen  of 
Grenada,  and  by  their  own  account  have  come  to 
Madrid  merely  out  of  curiosity." — "To  which  of  them," 
said  I,  "  has  your  heart  surrendered  itself.''" — "I  am 
in  love  with  Donna  Ismenia,"  said  Don  Manoel,  "and 
by  what  I  can  judge,  I  sigh  not  for  one  who  is  un- 
grateful ;  but  I  am  not  loved  as  I  would  be  :  she  is 
but  half  kind  to  me." — "lam  impatient  to  see  Ismenia," 
said  I,  "  as  also  her  companion." — "  You  will  see," 
returned  he,  "  two  persons  with  whom  you  will  be 
much  obliged  to  me  for  making  you  acquainted." 

In  the  evening  Don  Manoel  conducted  me  to  the 
ladies,  who  resided  in  a  tolerably  handsome  and  well- 
furnished  house.     "  Ladies,"  said  he,  presenting  me, 


72  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

"  I  hope  that  you  will  not  be  displeased  at  my  having 
brought  with  me  one  of  my  most  particular  friends, 
a  gentleman  from  the  province  of  Leon,  aud  a  young 
man  of  merit."  The  ladies  replied,  "  That  my  appear- 
ance would  justif}-  whatever  he  could  say  in  my 
favour,"  and  honouied  me  with  a  mo.'rt  gracious 
reception. 

I  shall  not  draw  a  portrait  of  these  ladies;  I  shall 
only  say  that  I  was  struck  with  their  beauty,  and 
that  after  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  conversation,  I  found 
myself  equally  pleased  with  both  of  them,  though 
they  were  in  character  extremely  different.  Ismenia 
was  serious,  and  Basilisa  remarkably  lively.  The 
former  conversed  with  as  much  dignity  as  elegance, 
and  said  nothing  inconsiderately  ;  the  other  hazarded 
everything,  but  almost  always  successfully.  Don 
Manoel  perceived  that  I  took  considerable  pleasure 
in  listening  to  them.  "Signior  Don  Cherubin,"  said 
he,  "  I  think  you  are  not  displeased  with  me  for 
bringing  you  hither.^" 

At  the  name  of  Don  Cherubin,  Basilisa  looked  at 
me  attentively,  and  asked  in  what  part  of  Spain  I 
v/as  born.  I  replied,  "  In  the  province  of  Leon, — why 
do  you  ask  that  question  ?"  The  lady  appeared 
troubled  at  my  answer,  "  It  is  not  without  reason," 
said  she,  "  that  I  ask  you,  for  I  am  acquainted  with 
some  persons  of  Salamanca.  Were  you  born  in  that 
town  f " — "No,"  replied  I,  "but  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  it,  I  first  saw  the  light  in  Molorido,  a  considerable 
boroifgh,  of  which  my  father  was  alcade." — "What 
was  his  name.-*"  asked  Basilisa.  "Don  Roberto  oe 
la  Rcnda,"  I  replied.  "  Ah,  my  brother,"  cried  the 
lady,  rising  to  embrace  me,  "  my  dear  Don  Cherubin, 


THE  BA  CHELOR  OF  6V1  LA  ^rA  NCA .  7 ^ 

it  is  you !  Is  it  possible  that  fortune  this  day  restores 
you  to  your  sister  Francisca  ?  for  it  is  she  whom  you 
have  met  here,,  under  the  name  of  Basih'sa." 

The  force  of  blood  was  no  less  powerful  on  m}' 
side.  I  was  so  delighted  at  having  recovered  ni}- 
sister  that  I  enfolded  her  in  my  arms  with  such 
warmth,  as  for  a  time  to  prevent  her  utterance.  On 
her  part,  penetrated  with  my  sensibility,  she  in  her 
turn  became  mute,  so  that  it  was  long  before  we  could 
express  ourselves  otherwise  than  by  tears.  Ismenia 
and  Don  Manoel  were  much  affected,  and  overwhelmed 
us  with  embraces. 

After  so  many  endearments  we  again  placed  our- 
selves at  table,  and  began  to  converse  as  gaily  as 
before.  The  conversation  was  not,  however,  always 
general :  from  time  to  time  Basilisa,  whom  I  shall  in 
future  call  Donna  Francisca,  questioned  me  in  a  low 
tone  of  voice  about  the  family,  and  while  we  con- 
versed thus,  Don  Manoel  entertained  himself  with 
Ismenia  in  the  same  way.  The  night  was  far 
advanced  when  we  took  leave  of  these  ladies.  "  Don 
Chcrubin,"  said  my  sister,  "you  will  come  to-morrow 
to  dinner.  I  am  d\-ing  with  impatience  to  hear  your 
adventures,  and  you  cannot  have  less  to  be  acquainted 
with  mine." 


END   OF  THE   FIRST  PART. 


PART    THE    SECOND. 


CHAPTER  I. 

DON    CHERUB  IN  DE   LA    RONDA    GOES    TO   DINE    WITH    HIS 

SISTER THEV  RELATE    TO   EACH   OTHER    WHAT   HAS 

OCCURRED  SINCE    THEIR   SEPARATION — HISTORY  AND 
GALLANTRIES  OF  DONNA  FRANCISCA. 

On  my  return  to  m\-  hotel  I  tried  in  vain  to  obtain 
a  few  hours'  sleep  ;  my  spirits  were  in  such  a  state  of 
agitation  that  I  could  not  close  my  eyes. 

I  was  not  a  little  curious  to  learn  my  sister's  adven- 
tures, though  I  doubted  not  that  I  should  get  but 
a  mutilated  account.  For  her  part,  being  no  less 
anxious  than  myself  for  an  opportunity  to  converse 
with  me,  she  was  as  little  able  to  rest;  so  that  when 
I  called  on  her,  at  the  earliest  moment  I  thought  I 
could  with  propriety,  I  found  her  dressed  and  waiting 
for  me  in  her  apartment.  "  Come,  brother."  said  she, 
"  come  and  satisfy  my  curiosity,  and  I  will  afterwards 
gratify  yours.  Well,  what  have  you  been  doing  since 
you  quitted  the  University  of  Salamanca.-*" — "My 
dear  sister,"  said  I,  "I  shall  very  speedily  comply 
with  your  desire."  I  then  gave  her  a  faithful  account 
of  my  adventures.  When  I  had  concluded.  Donna 
Francisca  complimented  me  on  the  present  state  of 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  75 

my  fortune.  She  then  proceeded  to  recount  her  own 
history  in  the  following  terms : — 

"  After  the  death  of  our  father,  Don  Roberto  de 
la  Ronda,  or,  rather,  after  that  of  the  Corregidor  of 
Salamanca,  you  and  Don  Caesar,  as  you  know,  each 
embraced  your  different  mode  of  life,  and  I  remained 
with  my  mother,  whom  the  narrowness  of  our  circum- 
stances prevented  from  giving  me  a  superior  educa- 
tion. She  took  this  so  much  to  heart,  that  it  caused 
her  death.  Fortunately,  Donna  Melancia,  my  god- 
mother, and  Don  Balthasar  de  Faranella,  her  husband, 
were  no  sooner  informed  of  this,  than  they  came  to 
seek  me  at  Molorido,  and,  as  they  had  no  children 
of  their  own,  conveyed  me  to  Salamanca,  with  the 
design  of  bringing  me  up  in  their  own  house.  I 
found  in  my  godmother  and  her  husband  a  second 
father  and  mother,  who,  every  da\'  giving  me  fresh 
marks  of  tenderness,  allowed  me  to  feel  very  little 
of  the  inconvenience  of  being  an  orphan. 

"Although  I  was  at  that  time  scarcely  ten  years 
old,  I  was  so  advanced  for  my  age,  that  I  attracted 
the  attention  of  one  of  our  neighbours,  a  j'oung 
gentleman  named  Don  Ferdinand  de  Gamboa.  He 
called  on  us  frequently  in  company  with  his  father, 
who  lived  on  terms  of  such  intimate  friendship  with 
Don  Balthasar,  that  they  were  almost  always  together. 
Under  favour  of  this  union,  Don  Ferdinand  was  at 
liberty  to  see  and  speak  to  me  whenever  he  pleased. 
As  he  was  only  two  or  three  years  older  than  myself, 
it  was  not  deemed  necessary  to  keep  any  watch  over 
us  in  our  little  interviews.  We,  however,  deserved 
very  well  that  they  should  be  looked  to,  and  they, 
doubtless,  would  soon  have  been  so,  but  that  Don 


75  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

Ferdinand  was  on  a  sudden  snatched  from  me.  His 
father  carried  him  away  to  Court,  in  order  to  place 
him  in  the  Spanish  Guards,  in  which  he  had  just 
obtained  him  an  ensigncy  through  the  interest  of  his 
friends.  I  was  for  two  or  three  days  very  much 
afflicted  at  the  loss  of  my  lover,  but  at  last  consoled 
myself,  as  it  was  very  natural  to  a  girl  of  my  age. 

"  Shortly  after  the  departure  of  the  young  Gamboa, 
I  gave  birth  to  a  new  passion.  Don  Balthasar, 
although  he  was  fifty  and  some  odd  years  of  age, 
conceived  an  affection  for  me,  to  which  I  at  first, 
though  unconsciously,  corresponded,  receiving  his 
caresses  as  the  innocent  marks  of  friendship  from  a 
godfather;  for  so  I  called  him.  This  old  sinner  would 
infallibly  have  seduced  me,  had  not  my  godmother 
fortunately  penetrated  his  design,  and  averted  it  by 
sending  me  promptly  to  a  convent  in  Carthagena,  of 
which  the  Abbess  was  her  relation.  After  having 
escaped  these  two  imminent  dangers,  I  entered  into 
the  convent,  as  into  an  asylum  in  which,  in  all  likeli- 
hood, I  must  be  sheltered  from  the  shafts  of  love. 
But  this  deity,  fond  of  his  prey,  had  resolved  to 
pursue  me  ever\-where;  and  I  believe  no  asylum  is 
to  be  found  which  is  inaccessible  to  his  power. 

"The  Lady  Abbess,  to  whom  Donna  Melancia  had 
most  strongly  recommended  me,  became  very  fond  of 
me.  She  placed  me  in  the  number  of  the  boarders 
and  young  nuns  who  formed  her  court,  and  among 
whom  were  several  of  the  most  perfect  beauty.  All 
these  girls  emulated  each  other  in  striving  to  divert 
her  by  the  exertion  of  their  talents.  Those  who  had 
good  voices  joined  in  concert  with  such  as  could  play 
on  musical  instruments ;  and  those  who  could  dance 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  77 

contributed  also  to  the  amusement  of  the  Abbess ; 
who,  environed  with  her  elegant  damsels,  appeared 
like  Diana  surrounded  by  her  nymphs.  I  beheld 
with  env\'  the  efforts  of  these  girls  to  please,  and 
wished  I  could  unite  in  myself  all  their  different 
talents,  in  order  to  be  agreeable  to  the  superior. 
Although  I  had  the  principles  of  dancing,  and  did 
r.ot  want  for  a  good  voice,  yet  I  was  but  an  unin- 
structed  creature,  or  at  least  I  was  not  sufficiently 
clever  to  contribute  to  the  amusement  of  our  Abbess, 
who,  seeing  my  good  inclination,  had  me  taught  to 
dance  and  sing  by  two  excellent  masters. 

"  So  great  was  my  talent  for  these  two  qualifications, 
that  they  had  very  little  difficulty  in  rendering  me  a 
proficient.  In  less  than  a  year  I  became  the  best 
singer  and  dancer  in  the  convent.  I  also  learned  to 
play  extremely  well  upon  the  lute,  so  that  I  became 
by  degrees  a  most  admirable  and  accomplished 
person.  All  the  ladies  of  Carthagena  who  came  to 
our  parties  overwhelmed  me  with  compliments,  and 
did  not  fail  to  give  the  Abbess  her  share,  on  the 
advantage  of  having  a  young  girl  of  so  much  merit 
under  her  protection.  The  Abbess  herself  took  credit 
for  my  talents,  which  she  looked  upon  in  some  degree 
as  her  own  work.  However,  instead  of  applauding 
herself  for  the  accomplishments  she  had  bestowed 
on  me,  she  ought  rather  to  have  reproached  herself; 
and,  indeed,  it  was  not  long  ere  she  had  reason  to 
repent  it.  One  of  her  nephews,  of  whom  she  was 
extremely  fond,  who  was  called  Don  Gregorio  de 
Clevillente,  came  to  Carthagena  for  the  purpose  of 
passing  a  fortnight  with  her,  as  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
doing  once  a  year.    This  gentleman  was  young,  beau- 


78  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

tiful,  and  extremely  well  formed.  He  supped  every 
evening  in  the  parlour,  with  his  aunt  and  the  favourite 
boarders,  in  which  number  I  had  the  honour  of  being 
included.  The  most  sprightly  among  us  joined  in 
lively  discourse  to  divert  Don  Grcgorio  ;  after  supper, 
all  who  were  qualified  assembled  to  form  a  concert 
and  the  amusement  always  finished  with  dancing. 

"  I  remarked  the  first  day  that  Clevillente,  delighted 
at  seeing  so  many  handsome  girls  together,  suffered 
his  eyes  to  range  among  them  without  being  able  to 
decide  to  which  he  should  give  the  preference.  If  he 
were  affected  by  the  soft  voice  of  one,  he  was  presently 
after  enraptured  at  the  graceful  dancing  of  another: 
he  was  as  much  embarrassed  as  a  sultan  about  to 
throw  the  handkerchief.  He  was,  however,  fixed  at 
last,  and  became  enamoured  of  my  face,  in  prejudice 
of  others  more  worthy  than  myself.  Of  this  he  made 
me  sensible  on  the  second  day,  by  the  glances  with 
which  he  favoured  me,  for,  in  fact,  he  appeared  to  have 
eyes  for  none  but  your  sister. 

"  I  did  not  at  first  appear  to  be  sensible  of  this, 
nor  make  an\'  reply  to  iiis  looks  ;  but  the  devil  lost 
nothing  by  that.  From  the  moment  I  was  aware  of 
having  secured  a  lover  in  Don  Gregorio,  I  felt  an 
inclination  for  him,  though  1  had  formerly  looked  on 
him  with  impunity.  What  delight  would  it  have 
afforded  him  could  he  have  read  in  my  face  what  was 
passing  in  my  heart!  But  I  so  well  concealed  my 
growing  affection  that  he  had  not  the  least  suspicion 
of  it.  On  the  contrarx^  imagining  that  I  had  paid  no 
regard  to  his  attentions,  he  resolved  on  making  me  a 
formal  declaration  of  his  sentiments;  and  thus  it  was 
that  he  put  his  design  in  execution.  • 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  79 

"He  imparted  the  secret  of  his  attachment  to  a 
young  valet  in  his  service  who  was  a  youth  of  great 
dexterity.  '  Brabonel,'  then  continued  he,  'can  you 
contrive  to  convey  a  billet  sccretl}'  to  Donna  Fran- 
cisca?' — 'Why  not?'  said  Brabonel;  'I  have  done 
things  much  more  difficult  than  that.  I  have  formed 
an  acquaintance  with  a  portress  of  this  convent,  and 
I  can  easily  induce  her  to  perform  this  little  service 
for  you.  Only  give  me  your  letter,  and  leave  the 
rest  to  me.' 

"Brabonel  had  not  exaggerated  in  boasting  of  his 
influence  with  the  porrress,  for,  in  effect,  she  said  to 
me  the  same  day,  slipping  into  my  hand  a  billet  from 
Clevillente :  '  Here,  beautiful  Francisca,  read  this 
paper;  you  will  find  in  it  something  which  will  please 
you.'  I  asked  her  what  it  was  ;  but  instead  of  answer- 
ing me,  she  withdrew  with  a  precipitancy  which  in- 
duced me  to  think  that  this  good  portress  was  a  little 
too  obliging. 

"I  found  in  this  letter  of  Don  Gregorio's  a  most 
lively  declaration  of  love,  and  the  most  earnest  soli- 
citations from  that  cavalier  to  allow  him  to  speak  to 
me  in  private.  I  ought,  I  confess,  immediately  to 
have  carried  this  letter  to  the  Abbess  ;  but  this  was 
what  I  did  not  do,  and  what  I  had,  besides,  no  incli- 
nation to  do :  a  girl  of  thirteen  has  not  quite  so  much 
prudence.  More  flattered  with  the  conquest  of  a  lover 
who  was  not  unpleasing  to  me,  than  angry  at  his 
audacity,  I  resolved  to  dissemble,  and  see  whether  he 
would  persist  in  loving  me,  or  rather  in  wishing  to 
seduce  me;  for  he  had  no  other  intention.  He  again 
employed  the  agency  of  the  portress,  who,  not  con- 
tent with  bringing    me   billets,  had  the  address  to 


So  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

prevail  on  rrie  to  answer  them  and  to  contrive  an 
interview  between  us,  in  which  Don  Gregorio  told 
me  that  he  was  resolved  to  marry  me,  but  that,  in 
order  to  be  able  to  do  so,  he  must  carry  me  off,  as 
his  aunt  would  not,  he  was  confident,  give  her  consent 
to  our  union. 

"  He  had  little  difficulty  in  prevailing  on  me,  and, 
imagining  that  I  was  following  a  husband,  I  quietly 
suffered  myself  to  be  conducted,  disguised  in  man's 
apparel,  to  the  castle  of  Clevillente ;  where,  during 
two  months,  my  seducer  paid  me  the  greatest  atten- 
tion. After  this  he  relaxed,  and  at  length  became 
perfectly  indifferent.  I  reminded  him  that  he  had 
promised  to  marry  me,  and  pressed  him  to  keep  his 
word  ;  but  he  only  put  me  off  with  evasions.  This 
disgusted  me,  and,  piqued  at  his  want  of  faith,  I 
began  to  despise  him.  From  contempt  I  passed  to 
hatred,  and  being  once  arrived  at  that,  I  speedily 
determined  to  leave  the  perjurer;  a  resolution  1 
courageously  executed.  One  day  when  he  was  gone 
hunting  in  the  direction  of  Alicant,  I  made  my 
escape  in  my  male  attire,  and  walked  towards  Oii- 
guela,  where  I  arrived  that  evenin^^  I  entered  an 
inn  kept  by  a  good  widow,  who,  judging  by  my  air 
that  I  must  be  the  son  of  some  person  of  distinction 
who  was  funning  about  the  country,  said  to  me: 
'My  pretty  young  gentleman,  what  brings  you  to 
Origuela,-'' — *I  am  come,'  replied  I,  'to  seek  for  a 
place.  I  served  at  Murcia,  in  quality  of  page,  a  lady 
with  whom  I  was  not  content ;  I  have  left  her,  and 
am  determined  to  travel  from  town  to  town  until  I 
shall  have  found  a  new  mistress,  or  some  gentleman 
of  distinction  who  will  take  me  into  his  service.' 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  8i 

"'  A  youth  of  your  figure,'  said  the  daughter  of  the 
hostess,  joining  in  the  conversation,  '  will  not  be  long 
in  this  town  without  being  provided  for  agreeably.' 
I  replied  to  this  gracious  compliment  by  a  bow,  and 
I  perceived  that  the  person  who  had  made  it  regarded 
me  with  the  most  particular  attention.  I  also  ob- 
served that  she  was  a  young  woman,  probably  from 
five  and  twenty  to  thirty  years  of  age,  tolerably 
pretty,  and  possessed  of  a  good  figure  ;  observations 
which  a  young  cavalier  in  my  place  would  perhaps 
have  made  with  more  pleasure  than  I  did. 

"  Finding  myself  fatigued  with  having  walked  all 
day,  I  requested  a  room,  that  I  might  go  to  bed. 
'Juanilla,'  said  the  hostess  to  her  daughter,  'take  this 
little  chicken  to  the  closet  which  looks  out  on  the 
garden  ;  there  is  a  good  bed  in  it.'  Juanilla  imme- 
diately conducted  me  thither.  '  Signior  Page,'  said 
she,  'you  will  be  here  as  comfortable  as  a  prince. 
When  any  person  of  importance  comes  to  lodge  at 
our  house,  it  is  in  this  room  we  put  him  to  sleep.' 

"Tlie  better  to  imitate  a  cavalier  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances, I  thought  it  requisite  to  act  the  gallant, 
and  say  a  great  many  sweet  things.  This,  however, 
I  did  with  a  great  deal  of  caution,  for  fear  of  raising 
a  flame  which  I  should  be  incapable  of  extinguishing. 
But,  with  whatever  circumspection  I  endeavoured  to 
address  her,  all  the  flattering  words  that  escaped  me 
were  so  many  arrows  which  pierced  her  heart.  As 
she  was  retiring  I  embraced  her,  and  this  embrace 
completely  intoxicated  her  senses.  She,  however, 
escaped  rapidly  out  of  the  room,  like  a  girl  who  is 
agitated  by  emotions  too  tender,  and  who  is  fearful 
of  yielding  to  their  influence. 

F 


82  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

"I  was  well  pleased  with  her  retreat;  and,  laying 
myself  down  immediately  after,  in  a  few  minutes 
sleep  had  taken  entire  possession  of  my  senses.  I 
awoke  about  the  middle  of  the  night ;  and,  hearing 
s  mething  stirring  in  my  room,  asked  who  was  there. 
Immediately  a  Lw  soft  voice  replied  :  'Sweet  page, 
who  can  enjoy  the  repose  of  which  you  deprive  others, 
wake  and  learn  your  victory.  You  have  inflamed 
Juanilla,  who  must  die  with  grief  and  despair  if  you 
refuse  her  your  heart  and  hand.'  I  pretended,  in 
order  to  amuse  her,  that  I  was  sensible  to  her  regard, 
thinking  that  I  should  get  rid  of  her  by  a  few  tender 
.speeches ;  but  she  approached  my  bed,  and  made 
such  advances  that  it  would  not  have  been  possible 
to  continue  the  deception  much  longer.  'My  dear 
Juanilla,'  said  I,  'why  can  I  not  seal  your  love  with 
the  seal  of  Hymen !  You  are  the  person  in  the  world 
for  whom  I  should  have  the  greatest  fancy,  if  heaven 
had  made  me  a  man,  instead  of  causing  me  to  be 
born  a  girl  like  yourself.' 

"  If  the  shades  of  night  had  not  concealed  her  from 
my  view,  I  am  sure  I  should  have  seen  her  change 
colour  at  these  words ;  and  when  she  could  no  longer 
doubt  my  sincerity,  I  believe  she  was  a  little  sorry 
for  being  undeceived.  Takmg  the  affair,  however, 
like  a  girl  of  spirit,  she  began  to  laugh  at  her  error, 
and  submitted  with  a  good  grace  to  necessity.  'By 
my  faith,'  said  she,  '  I  am  more  lucky  than  wise,  and 
it  must  be  admitted  that  I  have  had  a  most  fortunate 
escape.  When  I  think  of  my  weakness,  I  tremble  at 
the  idea  of  a  danger  which  was  but  imaginary.' 

**  Seeing  in  what  way  Juanilla  was  inclined  to  treat 
the  subject,  I  followed  her  example;  and  after  we 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  83 

had  both  exhausted  ourselves  in  pleasantries  on  our 
adventure,  we  vowed  an  eternal  friendship  for  each 
other.  To  engage  me  to  recount  to  her  my  affairs, 
she  made  me  the  confidante  of  her  own;  and  I  had 
full  cause  to  believe  from  her  recital  that  she  had  not 
always  met  with  young  girls  in  those  who  wore  male 
attire.  The  frankness  of  Juanilla  excited  my  own. 
I  gave  her  a  faithful  detail  of  my  elopement,  and 
informed  her  why  I  had  separated  myself  from  my 
seducer.  She  praised  me  for  having  had  the  reso- 
lution to  withdraw  myself  from  this  base  and  per- 
fidious betrayer:  she,  however,  persuaded  me  to  lay" 
aside  my  disguise  ;  '  in  order,'  said  she,  with  a  smile, 
'that  no  other  girls  may  be  deceived  by  it.' 

"'I  have  no  other  intention,'  said  I,  'than  to  enter 
into  the  service  of  some  lady  of  quality;  and  I  shall 
be  in  a  situation  to  supply  myself  with  female  attire 
as  soon  as  I  shall  have  sold  a  large  diamond  which  I 
got  from  Don  Gregorio.' — '  Keep  your  diamond,'  said 
Juanilla,  'and  let  me  follow  an  idea  which  has  just 
come  into  my  head.  I  am  known  and,  I  dare  assert, 
esteemed  by  a  rich  and  virtuous  lady  who  has  been 
living  at  Origuela  since  the  death  of  her  husband, 
who  was  governor  of  Majorca.  I  will  but  just  men- 
tion you  to  her,  and  I  doubt  not  that  she  will  receive 
you  immediately.' 

"  I  gave  permission  to  Juanilla  to  act  as  she  pleased; 
and  the  next  day  she  told  me  that  she  had  spoken  to 
the  Countess  Saint  Agni.  'In  consequence  of  the 
representation  I  gave  of  you,'  said  she,  'this  lady  has 
expressed  her  readiness  to  take  }-ou  into  her  service. 
It  is  true,  indeed,  that  I  made  her  the  confidante  of 
your  misfortune ;  but  pardon  me  for  this  indiscretion; 


84  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

by  doing  so,  I  have  but  the  more  effectually  served 
you.  The  Countess  is  the  best  lady  I  ever  knew,  A 
young  girl  who  has  been  betrayed  appears  to  her  an 
object  rather  of  pity  than  contempt.  In  a  word, 
she  compassionates  your  misfortune,  and  imputes 
your  fault  only  to  the  traitor  who  has  been  the 
cause  of  it. 

"  *  You  now,  therefore,  belong  to  the  Countess  Saint 
Agni,'  continued  the  daughter  of  ni)-  hostess.  '  Go 
and  call  on  her  in  about  an  hour  ;  she  wishes  to  see 
you  in  your  page's  dress,  after  which  she  will  give 
j'ou  other  habiliments.'  I  thanked  Juanilla  for  the 
service  she  had  rendered  me,  and,  getting  dnections 
to  the  house  of  the  Countess,  I  immediately  set  out 
to  present  myself." 


CHAPTER  II. 

DONNA  FRANCISCA  PRESENTS  HERSELF  TO    THE  COUNTESS 

SAINT    AGNI OF    THE     GRACIOUS     RECEPTION    WHICH 

SHE    MET    WITH    FROM    THAT   LADY — CHARACTER    OF 

THE     COUNTESS DONNA      FRANCISCA      INHERITS     A 

THOUSAND  PISTOLES HER    REGRET  FOR    THE  DEATH 

OF    THE    COUNTESS RESOLUTION    WHICH    SHE   COMES 

TO  IN  COhJUNCTION  WITH  DAM  I  AN  A. 

"You  may  well  conceive,  my  dear  brother,"  said 
Francisca,  "  that  I  could  not,  without  blushing,  offer 
myself  to  the  view  of  a  lady  who  had  been  made 
acquainted  with  my  history.  Nay  more !  I  was 
exceedingly  troubled  ;  and  though  naturally  bold 
enough,   did    not    approach    the    Countess    without 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  85 

trembling.  She  perceived  my  disorder,  and  pene- 
trating the  cause  of  it,  '  Compose  yourself,'  said  she, 
after  sending  out  of  the  room  a  woman  who  was  with 
her ;  '  Juanilla  has  told  me  everything,  and  I  pity  you. 
If  your  youth,  your  shame,  and  your  repentance 
cannot  render  your  fault  excusable,  they  at  least 
secure  you  my  compassion.' 

"  At  these  words  I  threw  myself  at  the  feet  of  the 
Countess,  and  only  replied  by  a  torrent  of  tears  which 
I  found  it  impossible  to  restrain.  My  tears  produced 
an  admirable  effect,  the  lady  was  much  affecied ;  and 
raising  me  kindly,  'Console  yourself,  my  child,'  said 
she;  'it  is  useless  to  afflict  yourself  now.  Rather 
come  to  a  firm  resolution  of  being  in  future  on  \'our 
guard  against  tiie  arts  of  men;  you  cannot  be  too 
careful  to  avoid  them.' 

'•  She  said  many  other  things  of  the  same  kind  to 
inspire  me  with  a  love  of  virtue.  Then  wishing  to 
know  who  I  was,  and  to  hear  me  converse,  she 
questioned  me  about  ray  parents.  As  I  am  not  of 
a  birth  which  I  need  be  ashamed  of,  I  did  not  pass 
myself  off  for  anything  more  than  I  was,  and  I 
replied  with  sincerity  to  all  her  questions.  Whatever 
may  be  our  birth,  we  ought  not  to  blush  at  it :  virtue 
is  not  dependent  upon  rank. 

"The  Countess  appeared  perfectly  satisfied  with 
my  answers.  *  Francisca,'  said  she,  after  a  long 
conversation,  'I  am  happy  that  fortune  has  'ed  \ou 
to  apply  to  me;  I  conceive  an  affection  for  you,  and 
would  stand  in  the  place  of  a  mother  to  you.'  I 
returned  all  the  thanks  which  so  generous  a  lady 
deserved,  and  hastening  to  profit  by  her  bounty, 
entered    into   her   house,   less   on    the   footing  of  a 


86  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

Avaiting  woman,  than  as  a  young  girl  whom  she 
esteemed,  and  of  whom  she  was  desirous  of  ta-king 
particular  care. 

"  I  immediately  began  to  contemplate  thoroughly 
the  character  of  my  mistress.  Oh,  what  amiable 
qualities  did  this  study  lead  me  to  the  discovery  of! 
I  found  her  mild,  amiable,  affable,  gentle,  and  even- 
tempered  :  she  was  prudent,  virtuous,  and  even  devout, 
without  affecting  to  appear  so.  A  mistress  of  such  a 
character  is  too  amiable  not  to  be  adored  by  all  about 
her;  the  Countess  was,  therefore,  the  idol  of  her 
servants.  For  my  own  part,  I  was  so  charmed  with 
iier,  that  I  thought  I  could  never  exert  m}'self  suffi- 
ciently to  please  her.  I  am  not  naturally  awkward, 
and  I  contrived  to  pay  m\'  court  to  her  so  well,  that 
in  a  short  time  I  gained  her  confidence,  or  at  least 
shared  it  with  Damiana,  an  old  waiting  woman  who 
had  been  twenty  }-ears  in  her  service. 

"You  will  observe,  if  you  please,  that  the  Countess 
Saint  Agni  was  then  at  the  completion  of  her  ninth 
lustrum.  She  had  passed  for  a  beauty  in  her  youth, 
and  was  even  still  handsome;  but  her  charms  began 
to  yield  to  the  power  of  time.  I  was  much  surprised 
one  morning  to  hear  her  sighing  mournfully  at  her 
toilet,  and  to  remark  that  her  eyes  were  filled  with 
tears.  I  took  the  liberty  of  asking  her,  respectfully, 
if  any  secret  uneasiness  troubled  her  repose.  I  pressed 
her  to  tell  me  what  was  the  matter  with  her;  and  my 
requests  were  so  strongly  urged,  that  she  was  unable 
to  resist  them.  '  Yes,  my  dear  Francisca,'  said  she, 
looking  sorrowfully  upon  me  ;  'yes,  I  am  the  victim  of 
a  grief,  the  force  of  which  is  increased  by  my  being 
obliged  to  confine  it  to  my  own  breast.' 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  87 

"'Do  not  rest  there,  madam,'  said  T,  perceiving  she 
had  done  speaking;  'open  to  me  j'our  whole  heart. 
Do  not  conceal  from  me  the  subject  f  your  sorrows  ; 
I  already  participate  in  them,  though  with-^ut  know- 
ing what  they  are,  and  you  will  find  consolation  in 
confiding  them  to  me.' — '  I  dare  not  reveal  them  to 
)-ou,'  said  she ;  *  they  are  ridiculous  to  think  of,  and 
I  cannot  without  confusion  make  you  the  confidante 
of  them.' — '  You  must,  however,  tell  me,  my  dear 
mistre-s,'  said  I,  throwing  myself  on  my  knees;  *I 
cannot  live  without  knowing  them.  Ought  you  to 
leave  nie  in  ignorance  of  them  ? — me  who  am  entirely 
devoted  to  you  ?  I  entreat  you  no  longer  to  make  a 
m\  stery  of  what  afilicts  y  u.  If  I  cannot  console 
you,  at  least  let  me  participate  in  your  grief 

"  I  evinced  so  great  an  intere£.t  in  the  situation  in 
which  I  beheld  the  Countess,  that  I  at  last  extracted 
from  her  the  secret.  '  My  child,'  said  she,  '  I  can  no 
longer  hold  out  against  your  zeal  and  friendship ;  I 
mur^t  acquaint  you  with  my  weakness.  Learn,  then, 
the  cause  f  my  affliction.  I  am  sensible  to  the  loss 
'  f  my  charms  :  I  find  them  falling,  ^ne  by  one,  in 
ruin,  in  spite  of  all  the  assistance  I  can  derive  from 
art  for  their  preservation.  This  it  is  which  afflicts 
me.  What  do  I  sa\' ?  it  plunges  me  into  a  melan- 
ch  ly  which  sometimes  arrives  at  such  a  height,  that 
I  am  afraid  of  losing  my  reason.  You  are  astonished 
at  this,'  said  she,  observing  that  I  really  was  surprised 
to  hear  her  talk  in  this  way,  '  but  it  is  a  weakness 
over  which,  with  all  the  aid  of  my  reason,  I  cannot 
obtain  the  victor)-,* 

"'Allow  me  to  represent  to  you,  madam,'  sai  '  I, 
'that  you  do  not  really  witness  what  you  think  you 


88      THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

do.  Win',  too  ready  to  torment  yourself,  do  you 
imagine  that  you  are  not  what  you  have  always  been? 
View  yourself  with  more  favourable  eyes,  or  rather 
believe  the  report  of  mine.  They  will  inform  you 
that  time  has  not  yet  destroyed  your  charms,  and 
that  you  are  still  in  possession  of  all  your  beauty.' 
At  these  words,  which  for  a  moment  suspended  her 
grief,  the  Countess  replied  with  a  smile:  'You  are  a 
flatterer,  Francisca ;  my  glass  is  more  sincere  than 
you ;  it  announces  to  me  every  day  some  change  in 
my  person,  and  my  eyes  cannot  deny  its  testimony.' 

"After  the  Countess  Saint  Agni  had  reposed  in 
me  this  singular  confidence,  she  was  no  longer  under 
any  restraint  before  me ;  and  giving  free  vent  to 
her  complaints,  I  had  the  same  scene  every  morning 
at  the  toilet.  I  often  spoke  on  the  subject  with 
Damiana,  who  could  not  refrain  from  laughing.  *If 
my  lady,'  said  she,  '  were  a  woman  of  gallantry,  I 
could  pardon  her  for  her  grief.  An  old  coquette  has 
indulged  in  such  habitude  of  having  lovers,  that  she 
must  be  quite  in  despair  when  she  finds  herself  no 
longer  able  to  attract  them.  But  my  mistress  has 
alv/ays  shunned  gallantry.  It  is  her  interest  in  her 
own  proper  person  that  renders  her  so  sensible  to  the 
outrages  of  age.  One  must  be  very  fond  of  one's  self 
to  grow  old  with  such  a  bad  grace.' 

"  The  Countess  Saint  Agni  had  but  this  one  fault, 
and  of  that,  unfortunateh',  we  could  not  hope  that 
she  would  ever  divest  herself.  On  the  contrary, 
finding  herself  every  day  less  lovely  as  she  advanced 
in  her  career,  at  the  end  of  two  or  three  years  she 
appeared  to  herself  so  changed  that  she  no  longer 
dared  to  look  in  her  glass.    'Francisca,'  she  exclaimed 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  89 

one  morning,  as  in  absolute  despair,  'my  dear  Fran- 
cisca,  I  am  perfectly  decrepid  :  it  is  no  longer  possible 
to  look  in  my  face  without  horror;  I  can  no  longer 
show  myself  in  the  world.  I  must  hide  myself  in  the 
recesses  of  a  cloister  :  I  had  rather  be  shut  up  there  for 
the  rest  of  my  life  than  exhibit  an  object  so  frightful.' 

"  It  was  in  vain  that  Damiana  and  mj'self  tried 
ever}'  method  to  restore  her  spirits,  and  induce  her 
to  consider  her  face  with  more  indulgence  (and,  in 
fact,  although  old,  she  had  the  remains  of  beauty, 
from  which  a  coquette,  in  her  place,  would  not  have 
failed  to  derive  some  advantage);  it  was  impossible 
to  alter  her  design  of  going  into  a  convent.  Previous 
to  executing  her  resolution,  she  asked  if  I  would  be 
willing  to  follow  her.  'If  you  doubt  it,  madam,'  said 
I,  'you  will  do  me  great  injustice.  The  convent,  it  is 
true,  viewed  in  itself,  does  not  much  please  me;  but  it 
will  become  an  agreeable  residence  to  me,  if  I  am  to  be 
there  in  your  company,'  The  lady  was  so  pleased  with 
this  answer  that  she  embraced  me,  and  declared  that 
ni}-  attachment  to  her  formed  her  only  consolation. 

"  My  mistress,  therefore,  buried  herself  in  a  convent, 
and  Damiana  and  I  shut  ourselves  up  with  her.  We 
might  have  lived  there  with  a  great  deal  more  comfort, 
but  that,  during  six  entire  months,  we  were  under  the 
necessity  of  constantly  exhorting  the  lady  to  sustain 
with  greater  fortitude  the  decay  of  her  charms.  She 
would  no  longer  hear  any  reason  on  the  subject. 
Happily  heaven  interfered.  Madam  Saint  Agni  re- 
turned by  degrees  to  herself,  and  triumphed  insensibly 
over  her  weakness.  What  a  change !  This  woman, 
who  had  been  so  proud  of  her  beauty,  became  insen- 
sible to  the  loss  of  it,and  quite  detached  from  the  world. 


90  TP,E  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

"  The  good  widow  was  only  two  years  in  her  retreat. 
She  fell  sick  and  died  there,  after  having  made  a  will, 
in  which  her  attendants  were  not  forgotten.  She  left 
a  thousand  pistoles  to  each  of  us,  to  enable  us  to  live 
decently,  without  being  again  obliged  to  go  to  service. 
Our  own  inclinations  came  somewhat  near  the  inten- 
tions of  the  Countess.  Damiana  shortly  made  me 
the  following  proposition  :  '  I  am  weary,'  said  she,  *  of 
having  a  mistress ;  I  would  take  my  turn  in  playing 
the  part  of  a  lady  in  the  world.  Follow  my  example, 
my  love.  Let  us  not  separate  ;  let  us  unite  our 
fortunes:  let  us  go  and  establish  ourselves  in  some 
large  town  of  Spain,  and  there,  giving  ourselves  out 
for  women  of  quality,  we  shall  make  good  acquaint- 
ance, and  live  very  agreeably.'  If  I  had  had  experi- 
ence, I  should  have  revolted  against  such  a  proposal; 
I  should  have  penetrated  the  views  of  Damiana,  and 
have  left  her,  as  a  jilt  who  had  a  design  of  ruining  me. 
But  segTAg  nothing  but  what  was  perfectly  innocent 
in  that  which  she  had  suggested,  I  readily  joined  my 
destiny  with  hers.  We  held  a  council  as  to  what  steps 
we  should  pursue,  and  the  result  was  as  follows. 


CHAPTER  III. 

m  WHAT  TOWN  DONNA  FRANCISCA  AND  DAMIANA  RE- 
SOLVED ON  SETTLING ADVENTURES  WHICH  OCCUR- 
RED TO  THEM  THERE A  TTEMPT  TO  CARRY  OFF  DONNA 

FRANCISCA THE  CONSEQUENeSS  OF  THIS  ATTEMPT. 

"We  fixed  on  Seville  for  our  place  of  residence, 
Damiana  having  assured  me  that  Andalusia  was  the 
most  pleasant  part  of  all  Spain  ;  and  determined  to 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  91 

proceed  thither  by  sea  as  soon  as  we  should  be  put 
in  possession  of  our  legacies. 

"  According'y,  as  soon  as  they  were  paid  us,  we 
went  to  Cartliagena  and  embarked  on  board  a  ship 
which  was  about  to  sail  for  Malaga.  We  were  a 
little  incommoded  by  being  at  sea;  but,  as  we  had 
a  favourable  wind  all  the  way,  we  soon  arrived  at 
Malaga,  where,  having  remained  a  few  days,  we  set 
out  for  Seville  by  land,  and  arrived  there  without 
sustaining  the  slightest  accident. 

"We  hired  a  house  near  the  Exchange,  which  we 
had  properly  furnished,  and  took  into  our  service  a 
cook  and  a  lackey,  who,  being  strangers  to  us,  could 
give  no  information  as  to  who  we  were.  '  Aunt,'  said 
I  to  Damiana  (for  it  had  been  arranged  that  I  should 
pass  for  her  niece),  '  I  think  we  are  beginning  upon 
too  high  a  scale.  Shall  we  alwaj's  be  able  to  main- 
tain the  figure  which  you  are  desirous  of  making.''' — 
'  Hold  your  tongue,  niece,'  replied  she ;  '  why  need 
you  trouble  yourself.'*  Leave  to  me  the  care  of 
managing  our  expenses,  and  you  will  find  that  we 
shall  never  be  under  the  necessity  of  reforming  our 
housekeeping.  It  is  more  likely  that  we  may  aug- 
ment it  in  the  end.' 

"My  good  aunt,  in  talking  to  me  thus,  had  views 
which  she  hoped  to  be  able  to  accomplish  without 
communicating  them  to  me.  She  flattered  herself 
that  we  should  make  some  useful  acquaintance  in  a 
town,  into  the  harbour  of  which  come  the  fleets  and 
galleons  from  the  West  Indies  loaded  with  Spanish 
dollars,  with  plates  of  gold  and  with  bars  of  silver; 
she  calculated  that  I  should  gain  the  heart  of  some 
rich  merchant,  and  that  we  should  not  fail  to  enrich 


92  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

ourselves  with  his  spoils.  It  was  upon  this  notable 
expectation  that  she  founded  the  duration  of  our 
brilliant  mode  of  .living. 

"Damiana,  as  you  may  perceive,  relied  a  great  deal 
upon  my  beauty  and  address.  The  result  showed 
that  she  was  not  mistaken.  A  Mexican,  being  one 
day  at  the  Church  of  San  Salvador,  whither  I  went 
every  morning  to  hear  Mass,  was  struck  with  the 
elegance  of  my  figure,  and  still  more  with  two  large 
black  eyes  which  I  turned  towards  him  now  and  then 
as  if  by  accident.  He  gave  me  to  understand  by  his 
looks  that  I  had  charmed  him.  Even  though  I  had 
failed  to  notice  this  myself,  it  could  not  have  escaped 
my  aunt,  who  was  closely  on  the  watch  in  this  matter 
and  took  notice  of  everything.  Both,  then,  had  made 
the  observation  ;  and  we  doubted  not  that  this  gallant 
from  the  new  world  would  shortly  endeavour  to  intro- 
duce himself  at  home. 

"  We  were  not  deceived  in  our  conject«re.  He  wiote 
to  my  aunt,  requesting  to  be  allowed  the  favour  of  an 
interview  with  her;  which  permission  she  granted. 
He  had  a  long  conversation  with  her,  in  which,  after 
having  declared  his  love  for  me,  he  proposed  to  marry 
me  and  to  take  me  to  Mexico,  where  he  stated  that 
he  possessed  immense  wealth.  Damiana  replied  that 
she  would  mention  to  me  the  honour  he  was  desirous 
of  conferring  on  me,  and  in  three  days  return  him  my 
positive  answer. 

"  My  aunt  having  informed  me  of  this  conversation, 
asked  me  if  T  felt  any  curiosity  to  see  the  country  of 
Montezuma.  'No,  truly,'  replied  I ;  *  to  consent  to 
taking  such  a  voyage  as  this,  it  would  be  necessary  to 
view  my  new  lover  with  the  same  eyes  as  I  did  Don 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  93 

Gregorlo;  and  that  is  what  I  am  very  far  from  doing. 
I  will  tell  you  more  :  I  feel  an  aversion  for  the  Indian 
without  knowing  why.  There  is  about  him  an  air  of 
gloom  which  prejudices  me  against  him.' — '  Let  us 
say  no  more  about  him,  then,'  rejoined  Damiana  ;  '  I 
have  no  more  inclination  than  yourself  to  go  to  the 
Indies.  When  the  Mexican  shall  return  for  his  pro- 
mised answer,  I  will  give  him  his  dismissal.' 

"  He  did  not  fail  to  come  at  the  appointed  time. 
She  informed  him  that  our  inclinations  did  not  cor- 
respond with  his  own,  and  requested  him  never  more 
to  set  foot  in  the  house.  He  did  not  appear  much 
mortified  by  this  compliment,  and  it  might  have  been 
supposed,  from  the  air  with  which  he  retired,  that  he 
did  not  take  the  refusal  he  had  met  with  much  to 
heart ;  but  we  were  deceived.  The  more  vexed  in 
reality,  in  proportion  as  he  had  taken  pains  to  con- 
ceal it,  instead  of  resolving  to  forget  me,  he  contem- 
plated only  the  means  of  obtaining  me  in  spite  of 
m\-self,  and,  in  order  to  effect  this,  he  had  recourse  to 
the  expedient  of  Romulus;  that  is  to  sa\-,  he  resolved 
to  carry  me  off  by  force.  You  shall  hear  directly  what 
was  the  success  of  his  project. 

"  One  evening,  having  been  walking  with  Damiana 
in  the  royal  garden,  near  which  we  resided,  just  as 
we  had  left  it  to  return  home,  I  found  myself  «ei",ed 
by  three  men,  who  endeavoured  to  force  me  into  a 
carriage  which  was  waiting.  The  screams  which  were 
uttered  by  m\'  aunt  and  myself  before  they  could 
effect  their  purpose,  prevented  them  from  succeeding. 
They  attracted  tiie  attention  of  two  young  cavaliers 
who  happened  to  be  near,  and  who,  seeing  the  vio- 
lence  which    was   offered    me,   did    not   hesitate   in 


94  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

affording  their  succour.  They  immediately  drew  their 
swords,  and  attacked  my  ravishers  with  such  impetu- 
osity, that  they,  despairing  of  being  able  to  retain 
their  prey,  abandoned  me  and  took  to  flight. 

"  My  deliverers  did  not  do  things  by  halves :  they 
conducted  us  home,  where  Damiana  and  I  returned 
them  all  the  thanks  which  their  services  demanded. 
We  gave  them  an  invitation  to  supper,  which  they 
willingly  accepted.  During  the  repast,  we  talked  of 
nothing  but  the  late  adventure.  One  of  the  cavaliers 
asked  me  if  I  knew  who  could  have  been  the  author 
of  the  attempt .-'  I  replied  that  I  suspected  the 
Mexican  of  having  formed  it,  out  of  revenge  for  my 
having  refused  his  hand.  *  That  is  enough,'  said  the 
other  cavalier  ;  '  in  less  than  three  days  we  shall  be 
informed  of  the  whole.  I  am  the  son  of  Don  Indico 
de  Mayrenna,  Corregidor  of  this  town.  There  are 
alguazils  coming  every  morning  to  my  father's  ;  I 
will  commission  one  of  them  to  examine  into  the 
business.  It  is  not  enough,"  continued  he,  *to  have 
prevented  the  execution  of  this  enterprise,  we  must 
punish  the  audacious  wretch  by  whom  it  was  con- 
ceived. This  is  what  I  undertake  to  do,  and  you 
may  trust  the  performance  of  it  entirely  to  me.' 

"  He  pronounced  these  last  words  in  the  style  of  a 
man  whose  heart  is  beginning  to  be  inflamed,  and  his 
companion  appeared  no  less  ardent  than  himself  in 
assisting  my  revenge. 

"  The  son  of  the  Corregidor  was  named  Don  Josef, 
and  his  friend  was  Don  Felix  de  Mendoza.  They 
were  both  equally  lively  and  elegant  in  appearance. 
I  expected  every  moment  some  sudden  and  violent 
declaration  of  love;  however,  they  contented  them- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.        "      95 

selves  for  that  evening  with  ogh'ng  nie  ;  which  they 
did  in  a  manner  to  make  me  sensible  that  I  had 
caught  both  their  hearts  at  a  single  cast  of  my  net. 
The)'  repeated  their  assurances  on  retiring,  that  they 
would  use  every  exertion  to  procure  me  satisfaction 
for  the  Mexican's  insolence. 

"As  soon  as  they  had  left  us,  I  asked  Damiana 
what  she  thought  of  these  two  young  gentlemen.  '  I 
fear,'  added  I,  '  that  they  will  make  me  pay  dear  for 
the  service  they  have  rendered  us.' — '  That  is  what  I 
apprehend,'  replied  Damiana.  '  They  are  both  struck 
with  )'Our  charms,  or  I  know  nothing  about  such 
matters.  They  would  not  sigh  for  one  who  would  be 
ungrateful  :  that  is  embarrassing.' — '  We  may  deceive 
ourselves,  my  good  aunt,'  said  I,  'and  we  are  perhaps 
taking  the  alarm  unnecessarily.' 

"The  next  day  we  heard  nothing  of  our  deliverers, 
they  being  engaged  in  looking  after  the  Indian,  of 
whom  they  were  extremely  happy  to  have  some  intel- 
ligence to  give  me  at  their  next  visit.  But,  on  the 
following  day,  the  son  of  the  Corregidor  came  to  me 
in  haste.  '  Madam,'  said  he,  '  you  are  revenged.  The 
audacious  man  who  essayed  to  carry  you  off  is  in 
prison,  as  also  the  three  wretches  who  dared  to  lay 
their  hands  upon  you.  Their  process  is  about  to  be 
commenced,  and  you  will  soon  see  with  how  much  zeal 
I  have  served  you.'  I  told  him  that  it  was  impossible 
to  be  more  grateful  than  I  was  for  what  he  had  done 
for  me,  and  that  I  hoped  an  occasion  would  speedily 
present  itself  of  giving  him  proof  of  it.  '  The  occasion 
already  presents  itself,'  replied  he.  'Sympathise  in 
the  sentiments  with  which  }'ou  have  inspired  me,  and 
I  shall  be  repaid  with  interest' 


96  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

"This  discourse  was  but  the  commencement  of  a 
great  deal  more  of  the  same  kind,  which  he  addressed 
to  me,  accompanied  with  the  most  lively  demonstra- 
tions of  tenderness.  Scarce!}'  was  he  out  of  the 
house,  ere  his  friend  Don  Felix  came  to  supply  his 
place,  and  entertain  me  with  a  repetition  of  all  that  I 
had  just  heard.  By  his  own  account,  never  was  man 
more  enamoured.  He  told  me  that  he  would  only 
live  to  consecrate  every  moment  to  my  service.  It 
must  be  confessed  that  Don  Felix  possessed  an  elo- 
quence more  seducing  than  Don  Josef,  and  that  he 
had  a  better  face  and  figure ;  nevertheless  he  made 
no  more  impression  on  me  than  the  other,  so  difficult 
had  it  become  to  please  me. 

"Although  I  held  out  no  hopes  to  either  of  these 
cavaliers,  I  received  them  graciously  as  visitors,  the 
obligations  they  had  conferred  not  leaving  me  at 
liberty  to  do  otherwise.  These  rivals,  therefore,  began 
to  contest  my  heart  by  the  most  diligent  attentions, 
without  any  apparent  injury  to  the  friendship  by 
which  they  were  united  ;  but  by  degrees  they  became 
cool  to  each  other,  and  their  jealousy  at  length  gave 
birth  to  a  hatred  which  terminated  in  a  duel,  in  which 
Don  Josef  lost  his  life,  and  Don  Felix  was  dangerously 
wounded.  The  Corregidor,  having  learned  the  cause 
of  this  combat,  arrested  both  aunt  and  niece,  and, 
in  the  first  impulse  of  his  anger,  shut  them  up,  as 
two  wretched  adventurers,  in  the  as}'lum  for  female 
penitents. 

"  However,  two  days  after,  reflecting  that  I  had 
been  guilty  of  no  other  crime  than  that  of  pleasing 
two  cavaliers  too  much,  his  equity  prevailed  over  his 
resentment,  and  he  set  us  at  liberty,  but  with  orders 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  97 

to  go  im mediately  out  of  Seville.  We  could  have 
consoled  ourselves  if,  on  getting  out  of  prison,  we 
had  found  at  home  the  effects  which  we  had  left 
there  ;  but  they  had  been  pillaged  and  carried  off  by 
our  domestics,  so  that  all  thdt  remained  to  us  were 
sixty  pistoles  and  my  diamond,  with  which  we  left 
Seville,  and  were  conducted  b\'  a  muleteer  to  Cordova, 
along  the  banks  of  the  Guadalquivir. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OF  THE  NEW  CONQUESTS   WHICH   DONNA  FRANCISCA    MADE 

AT    CORDOVA SHE    BECOMES    UNFAITHFUL     TO    HER 

FIRST  LOVER,  AND  FOLLOWS  A   PRETENDED  VALET  OF 
THE  COMMANDANT^ S  TO  GRENADA. 

"  As  we  could  make  but  a  very  moderate  figure  at 
Cordova,  being  so  low  in  our  affairs,  we  took  a 
furnished  lodging,  and  began  to  live  with  a  great  deal 
of  circumspection.  We  went  out  in  the  morning  to 
church,  and  passed  the  rest  of  the  day  at  home,  with- 
out seeking  to  make  any  acquaintance.  Damiana 
imagined  that  so  retired  a  hfe  would  be  noticed,  and 
be  the  means  of  procuring  us  some  useful  visit.  This 
expectation  was  justified  by  the  event. 

"An  old  woman  named  Camilla,  tolerably  well 
dressed,  came  to  see  us  one  day.  'Ladies,'  said  she, 
'you  will  not  object  to  a  neighbour,  who  judges  by 
your  appearance  that  you  are  persons  of  respecta- 
bility, coming  to  evince  her  desire  of  forming  a  little 
knot  of  friendship  with  you.'  We  answered  politely, 
that  she  did  us  both  an  honour  and  a  pleasure.  We 
then  entered  into  a  conversation,  which  turned  prin- 

G 


98  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  ' 

cipally  on  the  manners  of  Cordova.  *  There  is  not  a 
town  in  the  world,'  said  she,  '  where  gallantry  is  more 
in  fashion.  The  men  here  are  gallant  even  in  their 
old  age ;  and  withal,  generous  even  to  prodigality.' 
She  then  related  us  several  stories  of  girls  who  were 
strangers  having  made  a  fortune  there,  to  which  we 
paid  an  attention  which  enabled  her  to  judge  that  we 
found  them  extremely  interesting.  But  if  she  per- 
ceived that  we  had  swallowed  the  bait,  we,  on  the 
other  hand,  perceived  that  she  had  all  the  manners  of 
one  who  is  in  the  habit  of  conducting  intrigues. 

"We  were  not  wrong  in  our  opinion  of  her.  She 
was  a  maker  of  clandestine  marriages,  and  one  who 
was  particularly  expert  in  uniting  greybeards  with 
minors,  and  superannuated  widows  with  young  men : 
that  was  her  peculiar  fort.  The  second  time  she 
called  on  us,  she  offered  her  talents  and  services  to 
my  aunt,  telling  her,  in  private,  that  she  had  some- 
thing in  view  for  me  extremely  advantageous.  '  It 
is,'  said  she,  *  the  love  of  the  Commander  of  Montereal, 
of  the  house  of  Fonseca.  He  is  not,  indeed,  young, 
but,  with  the  exception  of  that,  you  have  seldom  seen 
a  more  agreeable  nobleman ;  never,  at  least,  one  who 
knew  better  how  to  make  himself  beloved.  Besides, 
I  assure  you  that  he  lives  in  a  style  of  great  magnifi- 
cence, and  has  a  considerable  fortune;  since,  without 
mentioning  his  other  property,  his  Commandery 
brings  him  in  ten  thousand  crowns  a  year.' 

"This  offer  of  a  heart  by  no  means  displeased  my 
aunt,  who,  desiring  nothing  better  than  to  assist  in 
plucking  a  bird  of  so  rich  a  feather,  entered  without 
ceremony  into  the  views  of  Madam  Camilla,  and  this 
hopeful  pair  took  upon  them  the  charge,  one,  of  re- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  99 

presenting  to  me  the  charms  of  the  Commander  and 
the  other,  of  disposing  me  to  regard  him  with  a  favour- 
able eye. 

"  The  first  time  I  saw  this  old  nobleman  was  at 
church,  where  I  was  with  Damiana,  who,  considering 
attentively  all  the  cavaliers  by  whom  we  were  sur- 
rc'jnded,  singled  out  one  whom  she  judged  to  be  the 
Commander,  She  made  me  remark  him ;  and  I 
joined  in  opinion  that  it  was  he,  by  the  care  he  took 
to  cast  on  me  some  tender  looks,  of  which  I  suffered 
not  one  to  escape  me,  though  I  affected  to  avoid  them 
all.  I  examined,  by  stealth,  this  nobleman,  who  being 
studiously  dressed  and  ornamented,  still  appeared 
}Oung,  I  thought,  though  he  was  more  than  sixty 
years  of  age. 

"'What  do  you  think  of  the  Commander.^'  said 
my  aunt,  when  we  returned  home.  '  For  my  own 
part,  I  do  not  think  him  too  old  to  deserve  the  regard 
of  a  lady.  Besides  that  his  figr.re  is  still  good,  there 
is  an  air  of  neatness  in  him  which  should  supply  the 
place  of  youth.  What  say  }-ou,  my  fair  Francisca? 
Does  he  not  appear  to  you  deserving  of  some  com- 
plaisance.-' ' — 'Yes,  indeed,'  said  I,  'he  appears  to  me 
still  an  accomplished  man ;  but  we  do  not  know 
whether  the  man  we  speak  of  be  really  the  Com- 
mander of  Montereal.' — '  That  we  shall  very  shortly 
be  informed  of,'  replied  my  aunt.  '  Our  old  neighbour 
will  come  to  see  us  to-day.  She  will  inform  us  if  wc 
have  been  mistaken.' 

"In  effect,  the  very  same  day  Madam  Camilla 
came  to  visit  us.  She  told  us  that  the  Commander 
in  question  had  been  in  church,  and  had  seen  me  ; 
and  we  perceived  by  the  description  she  gave  of  him, 


loo  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

that  we  were  not  wrong.  'This  nobleman,'  said  she, 
is  already  quite  enraptured  with  Donna  Francisca. 
What  a  noble  air  she  has!  said  he  to  me;  how 
majestic !  If  the  beauty  of  her  face  do  but  corre- 
spond, she  is  a  person  wliom  I  should  love  all  my 
life.  He  then,' she  added, 'urged  me  most  strongly 
to  procure  him  the  pleasure  of  an  interview  with  her. 
This  I  promised  him,  and  I  am  to  bring  him  here  this 
evening.' 

"At  these  words,  Damiana,  imagining  herself  already 
in  possession  of  the  revenues  of  the  Commandery  of 
Montereal,  could  not  refrain  from  giving  vent  to  her 
jo}',  and  to  conceal  nothing  from  }-ou,  I  did  not  fail  to 
partake  in  it ;  for  which  I  was  the  more  pardonable, 
as  we  were  beginning  to  be  assailed  by  poverty. 
Though,  to  confess  the  truth,  being  constantly  ex- 
horted by  rny  false  aunt  to  put  my  beauty  to  profit,  it 
was  impossible  that  I  could  avoid  becoming  a  coquette. 

"  I  therefore  prepared  to  receive  the  visit  of  the 
Commander.  I  passed  several  hours  at  my  toilet, 
consulting  my  glass,  and  still  more  Damiana,  who 
affected,  having  herself  formerly  indulged  in  gallan- 
tries, to  have  discovered  what  description  of  looks 
would  insure  a  conquest.  But  I  can  assure  you  that 
I  occupied  myself  with  very  unnecessary  cares,  for  to 
effect  the  conquest  I  meditated,  or  ratlier  to  preserve 
it,  I  had  only  to  show  myself  such  as  I  was  by  nature  : 
my  youth  was  sufficient  to  inflame  a  man  of  this  old 
nobleman's  character.  As  soon  as  he  saw  me  without 
my  veil  he  imagined  that  he  beheld  the  heavens  opened. 
He  testified  an  extreme  surprise;  he  seemed  as  if  he 
had  never  seen  anything  so  beautiful.  'Ah!  Camilla,' 
vried  he  with  enthusiasm,  addressing  his  conductress, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  loi 

*you  have  not  set  too  high  a  value  on  these  charms. 
What  do  I  say  ?  You  have  undeivahied  the  charms 
of  the  divine  Francisca  rather  than  exaggerated  them. 
She  is,  indeed,  lovely.  What  happiness  can  equal  that 
of  possessing  her  .'' ' 

"As  m\'  ears  were  well  accustomed  to  flattery,  1 
listened  coolly  to  the  noble  Commander,  who,  rightly 
judging  that  something  of  a  more  interesting  nature 
would  be  necessary  in  order  to  arrive  at  his  ends, 
continued  in  these  terms,  apostrophising  Damiana  : 
'Madam,  I  implore  }-our  protection.  Let  me  entreat 
you  to  emplo}-  all  the  power  you  have  over  your  niece 
to  engage  her  to  permit  my  attentions.  I  will  attach 
myself  wholly  to  her,  and  change  the  aspect  of  her 
fortune,  which  does  not  appear  to  me  at  present  to 
be  equal  to  her  merit.' 

"Here  he  paused  in  expectation  of  m\-  repl}-,  but 
I  left  it  to  my  aunt  to  answer  for  me.  I  did  not 
only  remain  silent,  but  affected  to  be  bashful  and 
embarrassed,  which  had  by  no  means  a  bad  effect. 
Damiana  undertook  to  answer,  and  acquitted  herself 
like  a  woman  of  talent.  If  she  thanked  the  Com- 
mander for  the  favourable  sentiments  he  expressed 
for  me,  she  gave  him  also  to  understand  that  I 
merited  them  :  she  boasted  to  him  of  my  education 
and  my  talents,  and  related  such  a  pretty  romance 
about  the  conduct  which  I  had  always  pursued,  that 
this  old  nobleman  was  induced  to  consider  me  the 
very  best  acquaintance  that  he  could  ever  make. 

"By  way  of  commencing  under  fortunate  auspices, 
he  made  us  quit  our  furnished  apartment  to  occupy  a 
lodging  which  he  caused  to  be  hired  and  handsomely 
furnished  at  an  hotel.     He  also  gave  us  servants,  of 


102  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

whom  he  undertook  to  defray  the  expense.  Besides 
this,  he  overloaded  us  with  presents,  so  that  in  a  short 
time  we  found  our  circumstances  tolerably  respectable. 
You  may  well  imai^ine  that  I  did  not  repay  with  in- 
gratitude a  proceeding  so  gallant  and  so  generous, 
but  \'ou  would  never  guess  what  was  the  nature  of 
the  recompense. 

"At  the  first  private  interview  I  had  with  him,  I  was 
given  to  understand  what  was  to  be  my  behaviour. 
'  Charming  Francisca,'  said  he,  '  I  am  not  ignorant 
that  it  would  be  a  folly  for  a  man  of  my  age  to 
expect  to  inspire  you  with  love.  I  do  justice  to 
myself;  I  only  expect  from  }'ou  esteem  and  friend- 
ship. Notwithstanding,  I  must  tell  you,  such  is  the 
passion  I  have  for  you,  that  I  should  expire  with 
jealousy  if  I  were  to  see  a  rival  beloved. 

" '  I  discover  to  you  the  bottom  of  my  heart,'  added 
he,  'and  perhaps  yours  will  revolt  against  the  sacrifice 
which  I  have  to  ask  from  you,  and  which  will  perhaps 
appear  to  you  absolute  t}'rann\'.' — 'What,  then,  is  this 
sacrifice  .'' '  said  I ;  '  it  must  be  impossible  if  I  refuse  it 
to  you.  What  is  the  nature  of  it  .-*  Speak  boldly.' — 
'It  is,'  replied  the  Commander,  '  to  confine  your  con- 
Ijuests  to  myself,  and,  in  order  to  accommodate  )'our- 
self  to  my  delicacy,  to  listen  to  no  other  lover  than 
myself.  Do  you  feel  yourself  capable  of  so  much 
complaisance  to  a  man  who  has  nothing  but  his 
tender  sentiments  to  merit  it  from  you  ? ' 

"  I  affected  to  laugh  at  this  discourse,  though  at 
bottom  what  this  old  gentleman  required  of  me  was 
not  exactly  to  my  taste  ;  then  affecting  reserve — 
*  What  then,'  said  I,  '  Signior  Commander,  is  this  the 
terrible  effort  which  you  expect  from  my  gratitude  as 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALA^MANCA,  103 

the  price  of  your  kindness  to  me?  Ah!  be  assured 
that  I  could  without  pain  sacrifice  to  you  all  the  men 
in  the  world,  so  indifferent  are  they  all  to  me.'  My 
old  lord  appeared  ready  to  die  with  pleasure  at  hear- 
ing me  pronounce  these  words.  He  kissed  my  hands 
with  rapture,  and  told  me  that  I  was  born  to  form  the 
happiness  of  his  life. 

"Well!  I  promised  him  to  listen  to  nobody  but 
himself,  and  I  performed  my  promise  faithfully.  I 
resolved  to  keep  my  word  with  him  as  far  as  it  should 
be  possible,  and  as  a  proof  of  what  I  say,  from  the 
moment  of  our  conversation  I  was  particularly  careful 
to  do  nothing  at  which  he  could  take  umbrag^e.  When 
at  church,  instead  of  throwing  my  eyes,  as  formerly, 
on  all  the  cavaliers  who  surrounded  me,  I  took  par- 
ticular care  to  cover  up  my  face  in  such  a  way  as 
coinj)letel\'  to  defeat  their  curiosity.  If  the  master 
of  the  house  brought  home,  as  was  his  custom,  some 
of  his  friends  to  supper,  far  from  endeavouring  to 
attract  them  by  coquettish  glances,  I  turned  my  eyes 
from  them  with  an  assiduity  for  which  the  Com- 
mander knew  not  how  sufficiently  to  thank  me.  I 
was  sure  to  receive  from  him  some  rich  present  the 
very  next  day. 

"  I  thus  formed,  with  little  inconvenience  to  m)'self, 
the  felicity  of  my  ancient  lover,  who,  on  his  side, 
omitted  nothing  to  perfect  my  own,  when  at  length 
love  interfered,  to  destroy  the  quiet  of  our  innocent 
union.  The  Commander  was  induced  to  take  into 
his  service  a  tall  young  lad  named  Pompeio,  who 
shortly  became  his  favourite  lackey.  This  j'oung 
man  possessed  a  good  figure,  and  had  the  appearance 
of  being  the  descendant  of  some  respectable  family. 


104  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

His  mind  corresponded  with  his  prepossessing  appear- 
ance, and  he  conversed  with  an  elegance  which  showed 
that  he  had  been  well  brought  up.  He  came  every 
morning  to  bring  me  a  billet  from  his  master;  and  I 
most  commonly  amused  m}'self  in  conversing  with 
him.  I  did  not  at  first  perceive  that  he  took  pleasure 
in  my  conversation,  though  it  was  my  business  to 
have  remarked  it;  for  Master  Pompeio,  when  talking 
to  me,  regarded  me  with  an  air  so  tender,  that  if  I 
were  not  on  my  guard  against  him  it  was  no  fault  of 
his.  At  last,  however,  I  opened  my  eyes  and  beheld 
my  work." 

Here  I  interrupted  Francisca.  "  Just  heaven, 
sister!"  exclaimed  I,  "  what  are  }'ou  going  to  tell  me.-* 
Is  it  possible  that  this  lackey  had  attracted  your 
regard  ?  " — "  I  did  indeed  become  distractedly  ena- 
moured of  him,"  replied  she.  "  However,  suspend  the 
reproaches  whicli  this  avowal  appears  to  give  }'ou  the 
right  of  making.     Attend  me  to  the  end. 

"As  soon  as  my  feelings  became  known  to  myself, 
I  was  overwhelmed  with  confusion.  I  was  ashamed 
of  being  vanquished  by  a  servant,  although  I  had 
heard  that  such  things  had  sometimes  happened  to 
women  of  more  dignified  descent  than  my  own.  I 
called  my  pride  to  my  aid,  and,  willing  to  stifle  an 
unworthy  love  in  its  birth,  would  no  more  indulge  in 
conversation  with  him.  I  coldly  received  from  him 
the  notes  of  which  he  was  the  bearer;  I  spoke  not  a 
single  word  to  him  ;  I  denied  myself  even  the  pleasure 
of  looking  in  his  face. 

"The  poor  boy  was  visibly  mortified  at  this  change, 
of  which  he  did  not  penetrate  the  cause.  He  thought 
that  I  had  read  his  temerity  in  his  looks;  that  I  was 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  105 

incensed  at  it,  and  that  it  was  in  order  to  punish  him 
I  dechned  speaking  to  him.  This  caused  him  so 
much  grief,  that  he  excited  my  pity.  I  began  to 
renew  my  conversations  with  him.  I  went  further ;  I 
engaged  him  to  open  to  me  the  secrets  of  his  heart, 
or  at  least  I  imagined  it  for  him.  '  Pompeio,'  said  I 
one  day,  'do  you  love  me  .'''  This  question,  for  which 
he  was  unprepared,  quite  disconcerted  him.  To  give 
him  time  to  recover  himself,  I  continued  :  '  If  you 
love  me,  you  will  repose  in  me  a  confidence  which  I 
promise  you  not  to  abuse.  I  suspect  that  )-ou  are 
nothing  less  than  the  character  you  represent:  your 
manners  betray  you.  Acknowledge  it :  you  are  some 
young  man  of  family,  who  have  a  design  in  hand  which 
cannot  be  accomplished  without  resorting  to  your 
present  disguise.' 

"  Pompeio  was  so  troubled  at  this,  that  he  remained 
some  moments  unable  to  speak.  'Your  embarrass- 
ment and  }'Our  silence,'  continued  I,  '  inform  me  that 
I  have  discovered  you.  Confide  the  whole  to  me, 
and  I  will  keep  the  secret.' — '  Madam,'  replied  Pom- 
peio, after  having  a  little  recovered  from  his  disorder, 
*if  you  be  absolutely  determined  that  I  should  satisfy 
your  curiosity,  I  will  obey  you;  but  I  warn  you  that 
I  shall  no  sooner  have  done  so  than  you  will  be  dis- 
pleased with  me.' — '  Never  mind,'  replied  I  eagerly, 
'speak:  you  do  but  render  me  more  curious.' 

"  The  Commander's  lackey  then,  placing  one  knee 
upon  the  floor  before  me,  like  a  theatrical  hero  before 
his  princess,  said,  with  the  air  of  a  declaimer:  'Well, 
madam  !  well !  I  am  about  to  reveal  myself,  since 
such  are  jour  commands.  I  am  not,  it  is  true,  a 
wretch  reduced  by  fortune  to  a  state  of  servitude;  I 


io6  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

am  a  man  of  quality  in  disguise.  I  am  called  Don 
Ponipeio  de  la  Cueva.  I  had  discovered  that  the 
Commander  loved  you,  and  not  being-  able  to  imagine 
that  he  was  loved  by  you  in  return,  I  resolved  to 
endeavour  to  win  your  affections,  rather  encouraged 
by  his  age  than  by  my  vanity.  I  had  the  address  to 
get  received  into  his  service,  and  by  this  stratagem 
have  obtained  admittance  into  your  house. 

"'Yes,  it  is  love,  adorable  Francisca,'  pursued  he, 
in  a  tone  of  voice  full  of  sweetness;  'it  is  love  which 
has  inspired  me  with  this  stratagem  to  make  you 
acquainted  with  my  flames.  If  you  contemplate  them 
without  anger,  nothing  can  be  comparable  to  my  happi- 
ness ;  but  if,  too  faithful  to  my  rival,  you  will  listen  but 
to  him,  however  great  the  ardour  witii  which  I  burn 
for  you,  I  will  remove  myself  from  Cordova  for  ever.' 

"If  my  heart  had  not  been  already  prepossessed  in 
favour  of  this  }-oung  cavalier,  I  should  have  been  on 
my  guard  against  his  discourse,  and  the  air  of  per- 
suasion with  which  it  was  accompanied  ;  I  should 
have  remembered  that  Don  Gregorio  de  Clevillente 
had  addressed  me  in  exactly  the  same  strain;  instead 
of  which,  enchanted  with  Don  Pompeio  de  la  Cueva,  I 
doubted  not  for  a  moment  his  sincerity.  I  went  still 
further,  and  added  to  the  weakness  of  believing  him, 
that  of  acknowledging  that  I  was  sensible  to  his  love. 

"The  joy  which  he  manifested  on  learning  his 
victory  was  excessive,  and  mine  was  no  less  at  seeing 
him  so  well  pleased.  It  was  thus  I  fulfilled  the  oath 
I  had  made  the  Commander,  not  to  give  him  a  rival. 
But  how  is  it  possible  to  keep  oaths  of  this  kind  made 
to  an  old  gentleman  .-'  It  is  as  much  as  we  can  do 
for  the  youngest  and   most  accomplished  gallants. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  107 

I  will  say,  however,  in  my  defence,  that  I  did  not 
become  faithless  without  remorse.  I  pitied  him,  and 
(what  a  jilt  in  my  place  would  not  have  done)  I  re- 
solved to  leave  him,  making  a  scruple  of  conscience 
of  receiving  his  presents  and  having  a  lover  at  the 
same  time.  As  for  m}-  aunt,  she  was  less  scrupulous; 
and,  considering  the  custom  of  a  Commander  more 
profitable  than  that  of  a  lackey,  she  advised  me  to 
give  the  preference  to  the  former;  or,  at  least,  to 
retain  them  both,  one  for  the  useful,  and  the  other 
for  the  agreeable  ;  a  thing  which  would  not  have 
been  without  example.  But  I  chose  rather  to  follow 
the  counsels  of  love  than  hers,  and  to  go  off  with  Don 
Pompeio,  who  pressed  me  to  yield  to  his  desire  of  carry- 
ing me  to  Grenada,  where  he  said  a  life  full  of  pleasure 
awaited  us.  I  therefore  left  my  old  adorer,  as  well  as 
my  false  aunt,  to  whom  I  abandoned  all  my  effects  to 
console  her  for  our  separation,  and  keep  her  up  until 
she  could  get  another  niece  ;  and  taking  nothing  with 
me,  as  I  may  say,  but  my  youth  and  charms,  I  left 
Cordova  one  morning  privately  with  my  new  lover, 
and  we  both  arrived  the  next  day  at  Grenada. 


CHAPTER  V. 

IF//O     DON     POMPEIO      REALLY     WAS  OF    THE     SINCERE 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT,  AND  THE  PROPOSAL  WHICH  HE 
MADE  TO  DONNA  FRANCISCA,  AS  SOON  AS  THEY  WERE 
MARRIED — SHE  IS  EASILY  CONSOLED  FOR  THE  DUPLI- 
CITY WHICH  HER  HUSBAND  HAS  PRACTISED  —  SHE 
CONSENTS  TO  HIS  PROPOSAL. 

"  It  was    not    necessary   to   preso   Don    Pompeio    to 
espouse  me.     He  was  so  impatient  for  our  marriage, 


toS  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

that  from  the  moment  we  arrived  at  Grenada  he 
occupied  liimself  with  nothing-  but  the  measures  re- 
quisite to  facilitate  it.  In  short,  we  were  married; 
and  the  morning  after  our  nuptials,  we  had  the  follow- 
ing pleasant  conversation  together. 

"'My  dear  Francisca,'  said  he,  embracing  me 
tenderly,  'here  we  are,  bound  together  in  the  soft 
bonds  of  H\'men.  Now  is  the  time,  my  dear,  that  we 
ought  to  speak  to  each  other  with  sincerity :  lovers 
only  are  allowed  to  behave  with  duplicity ;  people 
who  are  married  should  speak  the  truth.  I  am  going 
to  change  my  style,  and  shall  now  conceal  nothing 
from  \ou.  When  I  told  you  in  Cordova  that  I  was 
only  acting  the  part  of  a  valet,  and  that  love  had 
inspired  me  with  this  stratagem  to  introduce  myself 
to  you,  I  told  you  the  truth  ;  but  when  I  took  the 
name  of  Don  Pompeio  de  la  Cueva,  I  will  confess 
that  I  imposed  upon  you,  and  that  I  only  borrowed 
this  fine  name  to  render  my  temerity  the  more  ex- 
cusable. However,' added  he, 'though  not  of  noble 
birth,  I  do  not  derive  my  existence  from  among  the 
dregs  of  the  people.  I  am  called  Bartolo  de  Mortero, 
and  I  owe  my  birth  to  a  venerable  apothecary  in  the 
celebrated  city  of  Saragossa.  It  is  therefore,  my 
princess,  but  a  slight  fraud  that  I  have  practised 
upon  you,  and  which  the  daughter  of  a  village  judge 
ought  to  pardon.' 

" '  I  pardon  you  willingly,'  replied  I  ;  '  accident  does 
not  always  couple  people  so  well.  But  tell  me  whether 
you  practise  pharmacy.' — '  I  did  dabble  in  it  a  little 
at  first,'  replied  he ;  '  I  made  some  decoctions,  and 
that  disgusted  me  with  the  business.  I  discovered 
that   I  was   born   for  something:  more  elevated.      I 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  109 

became  a  prince:  sometimes  I  am  a  Moorish  hero, 
and  sometimes  a  Christian  potentate.  You  are  to 
understand  by  this  that  I  am  an  actor.  I  play  prin- 
cipal parts :  that  is  my  employment.' — '  I  am  much  in 
doubt.'  replied  I,  '  whether  the  revenues  of  your  prin- 
cipalities be  very  considerable.' — '  It  is  true,'  said  he, 
'the\-  are  a  little  slender,  except  now  and  then,  that 
our  new  pieces,  whether  bad  or  good,  dazzle  the  eyes 
of  the  public,  and  bring  them  in  crowds  for  about  a 
couple  of  months,  which  good  fortune,  I  admit,  is  but 
casual.  As  for  our  princesses,'  continued  he,  'they 
are  infinitely  better  off  than  we.  Whether  the  theatre 
be  productive  or  no,  they  always  live  in  ease  and 
abundance.  One  cannot,  w  ithout  witnessing  it,  believe 
their  happiness.  They  are  adored  by  the  nobility  in 
all  the  towns  through  which  they  pass.  For  instance, 
the  actresses  of  the  company  which  is  now  in  the 
capital  of  Grenada,  are  all  perfectly  well  established, 
from  the  most  handsome  to  the  ugliest  among  them. 
It  seems  as  if  the  theatre  girls  possessed  a  talisman 
to  enchant  men  who  are  distinguished  by  the  highest 
birth  or  the  greatest  portion  of  wealth.' 

"When  my  husband  had. thus  vaunted  to  me  the 
happiness  of  the  actresses  of  Grenada,  he  proposed  to 
me  to  augment  their  number.  'Attend  to  my  advice, 
my  fair  Francisca,'  said  he;  'embrace  the  profession. 
Young  and  handsome  as  you  are,  you  will  find  in  it 
nothing  but  what  is  agreeable.' — 'You  are  laughing 
at  me,'  said  I ;  '  one  must  have  talent  to  go  on  the 
stage,  and  I  have  none  at  all.' — 'You  have  enough, 
and  to  spare,'  replied  he.  '  I  remember  to  have  heard 
you  sing  some  ballads  before  the  Commander.  I  was 
no  less  enchanted  than  he  at  the  softness  and  powef 


tio  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.' 

of  your  voice.  Not  a  syren  of  the  Canaries  has  a 
finer  pipe  than  yourself.' 

"'Is  it  possible,'  said  I,  laughing,  'that  my  singing 
has  made  such  an  impression  on  you  ?  What,  then, 
would  30U  say  if  you  were  to  bee  me  dance.'*  I  am 
persuaded  that  you  would  feel  still  more  satisfied 
with  my  steps  than  with  my  voice.' — 'Impossible,' 
e.vclaimed  he,  with  surprise.  'Ah,  my  queen,  pray 
have  the  complaisance  to  execute  a  few  steps  before 
me.  Let  me  see  in  what  way  you  will  acquit  your- 
self.' To  satisfy  him,  I  danced  a  saraband,  and  he 
was  actually  enraptured  at  my  txecution.  '  My  dear,' 
cried  he,  in  the  excess  of  his  rapture,  '  what  a  treasure 
is  it  to  me  to  have  a  wife  who  unites  two  talents, 
which  may  be  called,  nowadays,  two  mines  of  g6ld 
and  precious  stones  !  Let  us  hasten  to  put  them  to 
profit.  To-morrow  I  will  assemble  the  actors,  and 
introduce  you  to  their  company  as  a  person  capable 
of  enriching  it. 

"'For  my  own  part,'  continued  he,  'I  have  but  to 
show  myself  to  these  gentlemen  to  be  received  among 
them.  They  have  heard  of  the  fame  of  Bartolo  de 
Mortero,  and  will  be  delighted  to  have  me.  When  I 
was  passing  through  Cordova,  where  your  beauty 
detained  me,  I  had  just  cume  from  Seville,  where  I 
had  been  shining  three  years;  and  I  should  still  have 
shone  there,  had  I  not  been  obliged  to  disappear  on 
a  sudden,  in  consequence  of  some  information  I  got 
of  my  creditors  growing  impatient.' 

"  In  fine,  my  husband  taught  me  to  see  so  many 
advantages,  so  many  pleasures  in  a  theatrical  life,  he 
urged  me  so  strongly  to  make  a  trial  of  it,  that  at  last 
he  succeeded  in  persuading  me  to  it, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  iw 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DONNA    FRANC  ISC  A    JOINS    THE   COM  F  ANY  OF  PLAYERS  AT 

GRENADA HOW  SHE    WAS  RECEIVED  BY  THE  PUBLIC, 

AND  OF  THE  GREA  T  NUMBER  OF  NOBLEMEN  WHO  WERE 

CAPTIVATED    BY  HER    TALENTS   AND    HER    CHARMS 

HER  HUSBAND  PROCURES  HER  THE  COUNT  OF  CAN- 
TILLANA  FOR  A  LOVER SHE  RECEIVES  HIM  IN  OBE- 
DIENCE  TO  HER  HUSBAND. 

"Although  my  husband  had  inspired  me  with  some 
confidence,  by  the  excessive  praises  which  he  had 
bestowed  on  me,  it  was  not  without  trembling  that  I 
presented  myself  the  following  day  at  the  theatre, 
where  all  the  company,  curious  to  see  me,  had  not 
failed  to  assemble.  The  women,  among  whom  were 
some  tolerably  pretty,  considered  me  with  critical 
attention,  finding  in  me  more  defects  than  I  really 
had  ;  and  to  the  men  I  appeared  more  lovely  than  I 
really  was. 

"We  passed  a  great  many  compliments  on  both 
sides,  and  embraces  were  bestowed  with  as  much 
prodigality  as  if  we  had  all  been  the  best  friends  in 
the  world.  It  was  then  debated  what  employment  I 
should  undertake.  '  Gentlemen,'  said  my  husband, 
'my  wife  dances  and  sings  to  perfection.  I  believe 
that  with  these  two  talents  she  will  not  be  the  most 
useless  of  our  party.  As  for  declamation,  that  is 
what  she  has  yet  to  learn  ;  but,  besides  the  talent  I 
know  her  to  possess  for  sustaining  an  amorous  part, 
she  will  have  Bartolo  de  Mortero  for  her  instructor, 
who  promises  you  that  in  the  course  of  six  months 
she  shall  become  an  excellent  actress.' 

"  It  was  agreed  on  all  hands,  that  if  I  were  what 


112  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

Bartolo  had  represented,  I  should  be  of  great  use 
to  them,  as  they  had  a  great  many  very  agreeable 
pieces,  which  they  were  unable  to  represent  for  want 
of  an  actress  who  could  sing  and  dance.  I  was  then 
requested  to  sing;  and  when  I  had  finished,  they 
applauded  me,  as  if  in  emulation  of  each  other. 

"'That  is  nothing,  gentlemen,' cried  my  husband, 
delighted  at  hearing  my  voice  so  higlily  praised  ; 
'you  are  now  going  to  see  that  my  wife  is  as  capable 
of  charming  the  eyes  as  the  ears.'  In  effect,  as  soon 
as  I  had  danced,  the  whole  company  honoured  me 
with  unanimous  applause  by  clapping  their  hands; 
and  many  were  the  compliments  paid  to  my  exe- 
cution. 'This,'  said  one,  'is  what  may  be  called 
dancing.'  —  'What  nobleness!  How  natural!  Ah, 
ro<^ue!'  said  another  in  an  undertone,  tapping  my 
husband  on  the  shoulder :  '  where  hast  thou  been  to 
angle  for  such  a  woman  as  this  ?  What  showers  of 
pistoles  are  about  to  fall  within  thy  grasp.'  In  a 
word,  every  one  agreed  that  I  was  a  great  acquisition 
to  the  company,  and  I  was  received  by  unanimous 
consent,  as  was  likewise  Bartolo,  who  beyond  contra- 
diction was  an  excellent  actor. 

"  Both  of  us  now  thought  of  nothing  but  preparing 
for  our  appearance  on  the  stage  ;  a  business  which 
happened  to  be  rather  embarrassing  to  us,  as  we  were 
without  equipment,  without  clothes,  and  without  linen: 
we  were  even  so  badly  off  for  money  that  we  had 
scarcely  enough  to  pay  for  the  furnished  room  in 
which  we  lodged.  We  should,  therefore,  have  had  a 
considerable  deal  of  difficulty  in  putting  ourselves  in 
a  state  to  make  our  debut  had  I  not  retained  Don 
Gregorio's  diamond ;  but  fortunately  this  was  still  in 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  113 

my  possession.  This,  therefore,  we  sold,  and  were 
thus  enabled  to  give  money  on  account  to  the  work- 
men, who  immediately  made  us  theatrical  dresses  of 
peculiar  grandeur  and  richness. 

"The  da}'  for  our  first  appearance  being  arrived, 
the  actors,  who  lose  no  occasion  of  augmenting  their 
profits,  availed  themselves  of  this.  They  announced 
us  to  the  public  with  high  encomiums  in  a  bill,  which 
stated  that  two  incomparable  actors,  lately  arrived  at 
Grenada,  would  that  evening  appear  in  the  Phoenix 
of  Germany,  a  revived  piece  written  by  Don  Juan  de 
Matos  Fragoso.  The  public,  who  everywhere  are 
fond  of  novelties,  came  in  crowds  to  the  house,  and 
were  highly  pleased  with  my  husband,  who  sustained 
the  part  of  Ricardo.  I  appeared  in  the  character  of 
a  musician  in  the  first  act,  and  my  voice  was  no  sooner 
heard  than  the  whole  house  rang  with  the  applause 
of  the  assembly.  I  was  still  better  received  in  the 
third  act,  which  I  finished  with  a  dance.  What  clap- 
ping of  hands  !  What  enthusiasm  !  I  cannot  describe 
to  you  to  what  a  degree  I  pleased  the  spectators, 
who  remained  a  full  hour  after  the  performance  dis- 
cussing my  merits.  Some  said  that  I  sang  better  than 
I  danced ;  others  placed  my  steps  above  my  voice ; 
and  what  astonished  them  all  was  to  see  me  unite 
two  talents  which  are  so  seldom  found  together. 
There  were  also  some  who  were  struck  with  my 
youth  and  person,  and  among  these  some  who  formed 
the  design  of  cultivating  an  intimate  acquaintance 
with  me. 

"At  the  second  representation  we  gave  of  the  same 
play  there  was  again  a  very  crowded  audience  ;  and 
as  I  had  now  more  confidence,  I  sang  and  danced 

H 


114  7'/7ii  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

better  than  before.  Nothing  was  spoken  of  in  the 
town  but  the  new  actress.  Have  you  seen  this 
prodigy  .-'  was  the  question  from  one  to  another. 
The  noblemen  of  Grenada  began  to  solicit  my  good 
graces  by  presents.  I  was  every  morning  receiving, 
\\hile  at  my  toilet,  jewels  or  other  rich  gifts,  which 
were  sent  to  me  without  any  intimation  whence  they 
came.  Sometimes  it  was  a  gold  watch,  sometimes  a 
collar  of  pearls  with  earrings  ;  then  again  a  piece  of 
rich  stuff,  or  perhaps  a  basket  filled  with  gloves,  laces, 
silk  stockings,  and  ribbons. 

"The  gentlemen  who  showed  me  these  little  gal- 
lantries soon  declared  themselves  ;  and  the  question 
was  now  who  should  obtain  the  preference  in  my 
favour.  One  would  watch  me  in  the  entrances  to  say 
something  flattering  to  me  as  I  passed  ;  another  wrote 
me  billets-doux  every  day,  and  es.sa\'ed  to  engage  my 
heart  in  a  commerce  of  love,  foolishly  imagining  by 
that  means  to  arrive  at  his  ends;  another,  taking  a 
better  course,  sent  an  old  actress,  one  of'  my  friends, 
to  invite  me  to  supper,  at  which  he  did  not  fail  to  be 
present.  But  none  of  these  gallants  obtained  an  equi- 
valent for  their  expenses.  Besides  that  I  grew  more 
vain  in  proportion  as  I  saw  myself  more  applauded 
by  the  public,  my  husband,  from  whom  I  concealed 
nothing,  continually  exhorted  me  to  listen  to  none  but 
a  nobleman,  or  at  least  some  very  rich  man. 

"It  seemed  as  if  he  had  a  foresight  of  the  good 
fortune  which  attended  me.  About  this  time  the 
Count  de  Cantillana  came  to  Grenada.  As  soon  as 
he  arrived,  he  was  desirous  of  going  to  the  theatre  in 
consequence  of  the  high  character  he  had  heard  of 
the  company.     I  was  in  the  piece  that  night,     I  sang 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA  115 

in  it,  but  did  not  dance.  However,  I  needed  no  more 
than  my  voice  to  make  a  conquest  of  this  nobleman : 
so  Bartolo  informed  me  two  days  after.  'You  have,' 
said  he,  'placed  in  your  chains  the  Count  de  Cantillana. 
You  cannot  have  a  lover  of  more  utility  to  you ;  he 
joins  to  a  fortune  of  ten  thousand  crowns  a  year,  a 
most  noblo  manner  of  spending  it.  He  is  so  generous 
that  he  begins,  I  have  been  informed,  with  enriching 
a  mistress  before  he  speaks  to  her.  For  the  rest,  he 
is  a  nobleman  of  about  forty  years  of  age  at  most, 
and  very  agreeable  in  his  person.' 

"'How  do  you  know,'  said  I,  'that  the  Count  de 
Cantillana  has  fallen  in  love  with  me  .-•  You  think  so, 
perhaps,  because  you  wish  it.' — '  No,  no,'  said  he,  '  I 
have  it  from  his  own  mouth  ;  and  I  can  inform  you 
that  they  are  now  furnishing,  by  his  orders,  a  hand- 
some house  which  he  has  hired  for  you,  about  two 
hundred  yards  from  our  hotel.'  I  only  laughed  at 
this  piece  of  intelligence,  not  imagining  that  he  could 
have  been  serious  in  relating  it.  However,  he  did 
not  jest. 

'"I  will  tell  you  besides,'  continued  he;  'we  are  to 
have  a  cook,  an  under-cook,  and  a  scullion,  who  will 
all  be  hired  by  this  nobleman ;  and  who,  without  our 
having  to  embarrass  ourselves  with  cares  of  any  kind, 
will  defray  our  expenses,  and  keep  us  a  table  of  six 
covers.  Iton.  He  does  not  design  to  be  tiresome  to 
you  :  he  will  not  place  an}'  old  duenna  to  watch  you 
and  observe  }-our  actions.  He  knows  too  well  how 
to  love,  to  show  a  want  of  confidence,  which  cannot 
fail  to  be  odious  although  a  woman  may  not  wish  to 
be  unfaithful ;  he  will  depend  on  your  fidelity,  and  on 
his  own  attentions  to  you. 


li6  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

" '  Item.  Besides  the  presents  you  will  receive  from 
him  every  day,  you  will  have  a  good  carriage,  the 
horses  for  which  will  stand  in  the  Count's  stables, 
and  in  which  you  will  go  superbly  to  the  theatre,  to 
the  great  uneasiness  of  heart  of  those  of  your  com- 
panions who  are  obliged  to  go  there  on  foot  or  in  a 
hackney-coach.' 

"*To  hear  you  talk,'  said  I,  'one  would  suppose 
that  you  would  not  be  displeased  that  I  should  have 
on  my'  hands  this  nobleman  of  whom  you  speak.' — 
'There  would  be  reason  for  thinking  it,'  replied  he; 
'  and  in  reality  I  would  rather  that  you  should  have 
a  rich  and  noble  lover  like  this,  than  see  \ou  foolishly 
engaged  with  an  actor  or  an  author.  I  repeat,  I 
should  be  delighted  with  it.  If  I  thought  otherwise 
I  should  be  hissed  by  all  the  husbands  of  our  com- 
pany.' 

"  I  then  assumed  a  serious  tone,  as  if  my  virtue  had 
become  fortified  by  my  theatrical  life,  and  reproached 
my  husband  for  wishing,  himself,  to  engage  me  in 
a  commerce  of  this  kind.  But  he  laughed  at  njy 
scruples,  and  told  me,  by  way  of  silencing  them,  that 
an  actress  who  had  but  one  lover  at  a  time,  was  as 
well  conducted  as  another  woman  who  had  none  at 
all.  *0n  that  footing,  then,'  said  I,  laughing,  '  I  choose 
for  mine  the  Count  de  Cantillana,  whom  you  so  wil- 
lingly propose  to  me,  and  ratify  by  my  consent  the 
treaty  of  alliance  which  you  have  made  with  him.* 

"Although  I  did  not  appear  to  pronounce  these 
words  seriously,  my  husband  did  not  fail  to  take  them 
most  literally.  He  assured  the  Count  that  I  was  in 
the  disposition  he  desired  ;  which  so  pleased  that 
nobleman,  that  lie  sent  me  about  ten  thousand  crowns' 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  117 

worth  of  jewellery;  at  the  same  time  requesting  per- 
mission to  come  and  see  me  in  my  furnished  apart- 
ment, until  I  could  go  to  reside  in  my  new  house. 
One  morning  while  I  was  at  my  toilet  he  arrived, 
conducted  by  Bartolo,  who,  the  better  to  enable  us  to 
converse  with  freedom,  immediately  withdrew,  like  a 
husband  who  understands  good  breeding. 

"  '  Madam,'  said  the  Count  de  Cantillana,  '  I  shall 
make  no  excuse  for  coming  thus  indiscreetly  to  pay 
my  homage  to  you  at  your  toilet.  I  know  very  well 
that  it  would  be  choosing  my  time  badly,  with  the 
greater  part  of  your  companions  ;  but  for  you,  lovely 
Francisca,  there  is  no  moment  in  which  you  are  more 
redoubtable  than  the  present.'  After  this  compliment, 
so  flattering  in  its  nature,  he  launched  out  into  other 
conversation,  which  was  no  less  so.  I  found  in  him 
all  the  politeness  of  the  Commander  of  Montereal, 
with  something  more;  I  mean  a  person  so  handsome 
that  I  should  have  given  myself  credit  for  obtaining 
the  love  of  such  a  noijleman,  even  though  he  had 
not  been  master  of  all  the  riches  which  he  really 
possessed. 

"After  a  very  long  and  tolerably  lively  conver- 
sation, he  retired  highly  pleased,  as  far  as  I  could 
ju/lge,  with  ills  visit.  I  was  presently  confirmed  in 
mi/  opinion  by  Bartolo,  who,  having  joined  me  as 
soon  as  he  had  gone  out,  assured  me  that  he  went 
away  quite  enchanted  with  my  wit  and  behaviour. 
'  He  has  just  told  me  so,'  said  he,  'and  I  would  wager 
that  you,  on  your  part,  have  no  complaint  to  make 
of  him.' — 'I  am  very  well  satisfied  with  him,'  replied 
I  ;  'he  is  one  of  those  noblemen  with  whom  a  woman 
makes  her  fortune  very  agreeably.' — '  It  is  true,'  re- 


ii8  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

plied  my  husband,  '  there  are  some  of  them  so  flat 
and  disai^reeable,  that  their  mistresses  may  truly  say 
they  earn  their  money.* 


CHAPTER  VII. 

OF  THE  FRESH  PRESENTS  WHICH  THE  COUNT  DE  CAN- 
TILL  AN  A  MADE  TO  DONNA  FRANC/SCA  —  THE  ATTEN" 
TIONS  HE  PAID  HER — ONE  OF  HER  OTHER  LOVERS 
SENDS    HER    AS   A    PRESENT  A    BOX   OF  DIAMONDS   OF 

GREAT     VALUE SHE     REFUSES    IT — HER     FAVOURED 

LOVER,  IN  GRATITUDE   FOR    THIS    REFUSAL,  BESTOWS 

ON    HER    A     MAGNIFICENT   COUNTRY  SEAT IN    WHAT 

MANNER     THIS    SO     TENDER    ENGAGEMENT    WAS     TER- 
MINA  TED. 

"We  removed  into  our  new  house  as  soon  as  it  was 
in  a  state  to  receive  us.  Had  it  been  furnished  for  a 
princess,  I  do  not  think  that  it  could  have  been  done 
more  magnificent!}'.  Richness  and  good  taste  were 
visible  in  every  part  oi  it.  There  were  two  separate 
apartments,  one  for  m}'  husband,  and  the  other  for 
myself,  the  Count  having  so  ordered  it  out  of  deli- 
cacy. Mine  glittered  with  gold  and  silver,  which 
shone  in  all  parts  of  it ;  and  that  of  Bartolo,  though 
more  modest,  would  have  done  honour  to  a  knight 
of  St.  James. 

"  We  visited  every  part  of  the  house  from  top  to 
bottom,  and  it  was  not  without  pleasure  that  we 
found,  in  a  kitchen  supplied  v/ith  every  necessary 
utensil,  three  persons  employed  in  preparing  our 
supper;  that  is  to  say,  a  cook,  an  under-cook,  and  a 
scullion.  I  imagined,  from  the  great  number  of  dishes 
which  I  saw  preparing,  that  we  should  be  a  dozen 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  119 

persons  at  table;  or,  at  least,  I  thought  that  the 
Count,  who,  in  order  to  instal  us  in  our  new  habi- 
tation, was  to  come  and  sup  with  us,  would  bring 
some  of  his  friends.  Nevertheless  he  came  alone,  and 
I  had  a  second  conversation  with  him,  in  which  I 
confirmed  his  chains  by  exercising  on  him  the  charms 
of  my  voice  ;  I  mean  by  singing  airs  from  some  of 
the  most  tender  of  our  theatrical  pieces,  applying 
them  to  him,  and  looking  at  him  with  so  languishing 
an  air  as  penetrated  his  very  soul. 

"If  he  were  pleased  at  our  private  interview,  he 
was  not  less  so  during  supper.  I  practised  a  thousand 
little  tricks  to  raise  his  ardour,  and  succeeded  so  well 
that  he  sent  me  in,  next  day,  plate  to  the  value  of  a 
thousand  pistoles.  Three  days  after,  I  had  brought 
me,  by  his  order,  two  superb  dresses  for  the  stage. 
What  do  I  say .''  it  did  not  rest  here ;  there  was  every 
day  some  new  present. 

"All  these  gifts,  joined  to  the  emoluments  which 
my  husband  and  I  derived  from  the  theatre,  which, 
thanks  to  us,  was  now  much  frequented,  made  us  so 
well  in  our  circumstances,  that  we  began  to  make  a 
more  brilliant  figure.  We  took  into  our  service  two 
lackeys  and  a  lady's-maid  ;  and  I  never  went  to  the 
theatre  but  in  a  handsome  carriage  of  which  I  was 
the  mistress,  and  which,  notwithstanding,  I  had  no*- 
the  trouble  of  keeping. 

"  As  soon  as  this  change  was  remarked,  it  roused 
the  railleries  of  our  company,  and  made  many  of 
them  envious ;  but  they  soon  left  off  talking,  and 
became  accustomed  to  it.  For  me,  who  saw  in  it 
nothing  but  what  was  quite  agreeable,  I  imitated 
those  of  my  companions  who  were  in  the  same  circum- 


120  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

stances.  Far  from  having  any  confusion  on  the 
subject,  I  braved  the  prattle  and  malignant  looks 
of  the  public;  and  in  truth,  if  there  were  anything 
ridiculous  in  our  equipages,  it  was  not  on  us  that  the 
ridicule  should  fall. 

"  I  no  longer  saw,  but  at  the  theatre,  the  other 
actresses,  with  the  exception  of  Manuela,  who  rolled 
about  in  a  carriage  on  the  same  terms  as  myself.  She 
had  for  a  lover  Don  Garcia  de  Padul,  a  gentleman  of 
Grenada,  who  enjoyed  a  very  considerable  fortune^ 
which  he  spent  nobly  in  her  company.  This  girl 
sought  my  friendship,  and  obtained  it,  in  return  for 
her  own.  We  became  so  much  attached,  that  no 
sooner  were  we  separated  than  we  were  all  impatience 
to  see  each  other  again.  I  do  not  know  whether  we 
were  not  better  pleased  to  be  together  than  with  our 
lovers.  So  very  intimate  a  friendship  between  us 
became  the  means  of  Don  Garcia  and  the  Count 
getting  acquainted ;  and  when  that  took  place,  we 
formed  all  four  a  society,  in  which  were  seen  predomi- 
nating gaiety,  pleasure,  and  good  cheer.  We  supped 
every  night  at  my  house  or  at  that  of  m\'  friend.  We 
respired  nothing  but  joy,  and  we  all  lived  so  familiarly, 
that  it  would  be  hard  to  decide  whether  the  noblemen 
had  stooped  to  us,  or  we  had  raised  ourselves  to  them. 

"While  we  were  leading  a  life  so  agreeable,  I  was 
making  wretches  elsewhere  :  I  mean  some  young  men 
who  came  every  day  to  the  theatre  to  see  me,  and 
who  burned  with  a  flame  which  tiiey  concealed,  or 
which,  if  they  gave  any  signs  of  it,  procured  them  no 
return.  Among  these  was  one  distinguished  by  his 
birth,  and  still  more  by  his  personal  merit.  This 
was  Don  Gutierrez  de  Albunuelas,  eldest  son  of  the 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  i2r 

Governor  of  Grenada,  and  the  most  handsome  cavalier 
of  his  time.  He  had  just  returned  from  finishing  his 
.studies  at  Salamanca.  He  had  no  longer  either  tutor 
or  governor,  and  was  now  beginning  to  feel  the 
pleasure  of  being  master  of  his  own  actions. 

"This  )'oung  nobleman  never  failed  to  be  at  any 
play  in  which  I  was  to  perform.  He  contented  him- 
self for  a  long  time  with  ogling  me  and  applauding 
me  on  the  stage,  whether  from  timidity,  or  that  he 
despaired  of  supplanting  so  formidable  a  rival  as  the 
Count  de  Cantiliana.  He  at  last  grew  tired  of  keeping 
silence;  and  not  being  able  to  make  up  his  mind  to 
speak  to  me,  came  to  the  resolution  of  making  me  a 
detail  of  his  sufferings  in  a  letter,  which  he  had  the 
address  to  get  secretly  conveyed  to  me,  and  to  which, 
}'ou  ma\'  be  well  assured,  I  returned  no  answer.  I 
even  affected,  in  order  to  deprive  him  entirely  of  hope, 
to  turn  nu-  eyes  another  way  as  often  as  by  accident 
they  encountered  his  own. 

"All  this  rigour  could  not  repel  him,  and  imagining 
that  presents  would  have  a  greater  effect  on  me  than 
either  his  love  or  his  beauty,  he  sent  me  a  jewel-box 
in  which  there  were  precious  stones  to  the  value  of 
fo;ir  thousand  pistoles,  that  he  had  contrived  to  steal 
from  his  mother.  I  consulted  Bartolo  on  the  conduct 
whicii  I  ought  to  pursue  in  a  conjuncture  so  delicate. 
'You  have  onlj'  one  way  of  acting,'  replied  he,  after 
musing  a  few  moments;  'you  must,  without  loss  of 
time,  send  back  these  jewels  to  Don  Gutierrez  :  we 
shot.ld  both  be  inevitably  ruined  if  we  were  so  im- 
prudent as  to  keep  them.  The  Governor's  lady  (for 
I  dou'  t  not  for  a  moment  that  it  is  from  her  he  has 
sti  ■  jni)   cannot  be   long  ere  she  discover   the 


122  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

theft.  She  will  then  seek  for  the  perpetrator  of  it, 
and  by  diligent  inquiries  will  discover  him.  The 
Governor  will  interest  himself  in  the  business  ;  he  will 
be  desirous  of  getting  at  the  bottom  of  it,  and  that 
will  incense  him  against  you.  I  believe,'  added  he, 
'I  need  say  no  more  upon  the  subject.  You  know 
that  actresses,  however  great  may  be  their  talents, 
venture  a  high  stake  when  they  make  enemies  of 
persons  in  power.  After  the  treatment  you  received 
from  the  Corregidor  of  Seville,  you  ought  to  fear  these 
gentlemen  a  little.' 

"'Your  advice  is  too  judicious  for  me  to  neglect,* 
replied  I.  '  I  have  represented  to  myself  all  the  in- 
conveniences which  you  have  just  laid  before  me,  and 
I  have  no  hesitation  about  returning  the  diamonds; 
I  am  even  persuaded  that  that  will  have  the  happiest 
effect  in  the  world  on  the  mind  of  the  Count  de  Can- 
tillana.' — '  Never  doubt  it,'  replied  my  spouse  ;  '  he 
will  feel  himself  indebted  to  you  for  the  sacrifice  you 
will  make  of  Gutierrez,  and  you  will  perhaps  gain  by 
it  more  than  you  will  lose.'  As  I  could  not  then, 
without  danger,  retain  the  jewels,  I  had  them  returned 
to  the  Governor's  son,  informing  him  politely  that  I 
sent  them  back  to  him,  not  finding  myself  capable  of 
the  gratitude  with  which  his  present  should  be  repaid. 

"  We  had  not  been  in  the  wrong  in  thinking  that 
the  Count  would  be  sensible  to  the  sacrifice  I  had 
made  him  of  so  dangerous  a  rival.  When  he 
became  acquainted  with  it,  he  w^as  transported  with 
joy.  '  You  prefer  me,'  said  he,  '  to  the  most  amiable 
cavalier  in  Grenada.  Ah  !  charming  Francisca,  why 
can  you  not  read  the  bottom  of  my  heart  at  this 
mojiient !  you  would  find  how  deeply  it  is  penetrated 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  123 

by  this  glorious  preference' — 'Count,'  replied  I,  re- 
garding him  tenderly,  '  I  do  not  pretend  to  make  a 
merit  of  it  with  }-©u :  can  a  heart  that  is  enamoured 
of  you  &Yer  cease  to  be  faithful  ?  No,  Count,'  I  added, 
with  a  passionate  air,  'be  assured  that  neither  Don 
Gutierrez,  nor  all  the  men  in  the  world,  can  ever  win 
me  from  you.* 

"  The  Count,  on  hearing  all  this  flatter}',  threw 
himself  on  his  knees  in  transport,  and  broke  out  into 
an  effusion  of  love  and  gratitude.  After  this  he  took 
another  strain  far  more  to  my  taste  than  the  common- 
place expressions  of  gallantry.  'To  make  you  amends,' 
said  he,  'for  the  jewels  which  you  refused  out  of  love 
for  me,  I  make  you  a  present  of  a  castle  which  I  have 
on  the  banks  of  the  Guadalquivir,  between  Jaen  and 
Ubeda.  This  castle  is  not  very  high  rented,  but  it  is 
a  most  agreeable  residence.'  I  thanked  my  generous 
lover  for  this  new  present  which  he  had  made  me, 
and  on  the  same  day  the  deed  of  donation  was  made 
out  and  delivered  over  to  me  in  due  form. 

"  No»thing  could  equal  the  joy  of  Bartolo  when  I 
announced  to  him  the  new  acquisition  which  my 
charms  had  just  made.  'I  knew  well,'  cried  he,  'that 
you  would  not  give  up  Don  Gutierrez  for  nothing. 
\Miat,  the  deuce  !  a  castle  !  it  must  be  admitted  that 
the  Count  has  a  noble  way  of  doing  things.'  In  fact, 
my  husband  could  not  contain  his  joy  ;  and  yielding 
to  his  impatience  to  see *the  estate  which  had  cost  so 
little,  he  hastened  thither  and  tool:  possession  of  it. 
On  his  return,  a  few  days  after,  'The  Count,'  said  he, 
*  has  made  you  a  handsomer  present  than  you  are 
aware  of.  Learn  what  description  of  building  is  this 
castle ;  it  is  a  house  wliich  appears  to  have  been  built 


1^4  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

by  the  fairies.'  He  then  proceeded  to  give  me  so 
magnificent  a  description  that  I  could  not  help  inter- 
rupting liim  five  or  six  times  to  reproach  him  for 
exaggerating  its  beauties.  '  Quite  the  contrary,'  he 
always  repHed  ;  'instead  of  embellishing  it  by  my 
description,  I  rather  weaken  its  advantages,  since  it  is 
completely  a  chcf-d' oeuvre  of  art  and  nature.  Besides 
that  it  has  wherewith  to  please  the  eye,  it  is  farmed 
for  three  thousand  crowns  to  the  richest  peasant  in 
the  country  :  this  is  a  certain  fact ;  I  have  seen  the 
lease.  Add  to  that,  that  you  and  I  are  lord  and  lady 
of  the  village  of  Caralla,  and  that  we  may  take  the 
wall  of  all  the  hidalgos  in  the  parish  ;  no  trifling  pre- 
rogative. It  is  true  that  they  will  laugh  a  little  at  first 
at  our  expense  on  account  of  our  profession,  but  we 
shall  be  quit  for  that,  and  enjoy  at  a  cheap  rate  our 
revenue  and  seigniorial  rights.  Now  let  the  aff"airs  of 
the  stage  be  at  the  disposal  of  fortune:  let  our  new 
pieces  have  what  success  God  pleases ;  we  have  an 
asylum  inaccessible  to  famine.' 

It  was  thus  my  spouse  felicitated  himself  at  seeing 
us  secure  of  a  retreat  which  is  seldom  the  fruit  of 
long  and  laborious  exertions  among  those  of  our 
profession.  I  was  as  well  satisfied  as  he,  and  very 
soon  the  public  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  it.  I 
began  to  put  myself  on  a  footing  of  not  going  so 
often  on  the  stage,  and  came  insensibly  to  omit  it 
altogether;  and  this  in  pattet'n  of  some  great  actors, 
who,  under  pretence  of  consulting  their  health,  neglect 
their  duty.  It  appeared  to  me  that  a  lady  who  pos- 
sessed a  manor  of  three  thousand  crowns  a  }'ear  might 
give  herself  the  same  airs.  Bartolo,  after  my  example, 
would   play   but  ve^y  seldom.     This  displeased  the 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  125 

rest,  who  leagued  themselves  against  us ;  and  discord 
spread  throughout  the  company. 

"  I  am  now  arrived  at  the  epoch  of  an  event  rather 
unfortunate  for  me.  The  Count  de  Cantillana  re- 
ceived despatches  from  the  Court :  the  Duke  of  Lerma, 
with  whom  he  was  a  favourite,  ordered  him  to  repair 
immediately  to  Madrid,  this  minister  having  cast  his 
eyes  upon  him  to  replace  a  counsellor  of  state  who  had 
just  died.  Although  the  Count  was  the  more  pleased 
with  this  new.s,  as  his  love  was  beginning  to  decline, 
he  failed  not  to  represent  to  me  that  he  was  quite  in 
despair,  and  that  he  was  ahnost  inclined  to  refuse  the 
place  which  was  offered  to  him;  but,  at  the  same 
time,  he  represented  to  me  that  if  he  were  to  decline 
it,  he  should  offend  all  his  family,  and  perhaps  lose 
for  ever  the  friendship  of  the  Duke  of  Lerma.  Lastly, 
by  way  of  gilding  the  pill,  he  assured  me  that  he 
should  always  remember  his  dear  Francisca.  I  affected 
to  be  the  dupe  of  these  protestations ;  and  as  croco- 
dile's tears  cost  nothing  to  a  good  actress^  I  shed  an 
abundance  of  them  at  our  last  adieux. 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

WHAT    FRANCISCA     DID    AFTER     THE    DEPARTURE    OF    THE 

COUNT  DE    CANTILLANA HER  HUSBAND  AND  SHE  GO 

TO  TAKE  POSSESSION  OF  THEIR  CASTLE — SINGULAR 
ADVENTURE  WHICH  HAPPENS  TO  M-ER,  AND  WHAT 
LOVER  PAID  HIS  COURT  TO  HRR. 

"Thus   separated    the   Count   and    L     Manuela.   on 
her  part,  almost  at  the  same  time  was  abandoned  by 


126  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

Don  Garcia  ;  one  nobleman  not  being  more  constant 
than  the  other.  Padul,  under  pretence  of  going  to 
see  a  sick  uncle  at  Badajos,  removed  himself  from 
her  and  from  Grenada.  Happily  we  were  both  of  us 
well  fledged,  and  of  an  age  to  console  ourselves  for 
the  loss  of  our  flighty  lovers. 

"  Scarcely  had  they  quitted  us  ere  others  presented 
themselves  to  fill  their  places  ;  but,  besides  that  we 
should  have  been  embarrassed  in  making  a  choice, 
the  divisions  which  reignr  J  in  our  company  aug- 
mented to  such  a  degree,  that  we  became  disgusted 
with  the  theatrical  life,  and  resolved  to  renounce  it, 
'M\'  dear  Manuela,'  said  I  one  day,  'I  am  tired  of 
exhibiting  myself  on  the  stage,  and  of  diverting  the 
public.  I  will  retire  to  my  seat  at  Caralla,  and  act 
the  lady  of  the  [parish.  May  I  flatter  myself  that  you 
love  me  sufficiently  to  accompany  me  .?' 

"'Such  a  doubt  offends  me,'  replied  Manuela:  'you 
know  that  nothing  in  the  world  is  so  dear  to  me  as 
your  friendship;  I  should  be  unworthy  of  that  if  I 
could  refuse  to  go  and  partake  with  }'0u  the  comforts 
of  your  retreat.  Let  us  go,  my  dear  Francisca,  let 
us  go ;  I  am  ready  for  }'our  sake  to  sacrifice  all  the 
gallants  of  Grenada.'  We  both,  therefore,  left  the 
company,  as  did  also  Bartolo,  who,  preferring  the 
character  of  lord  of  the  village  to  that  of  a  theatre 
prince,  willingly  conducted  us  to  Caralla,  where  we 
all  three  arrived  quite  happy  in  a  good  coach,  pur- 
chased with  our  own  money,  or,  if  you  will,  with  that 
of  the  Count.  A  chaise  in  which  were  my  servant 
and  Manuela's  followed  us,  with  six  valets  who  led  so 
many  mules  load-ed  with  our  baggage.  After  which 
came  our  cook  and  Bartolo's  lackey,  both  mounted 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  127 

on  very  good  horses  :  all  which  composed  a  suite 
worthy  the  admiration  of  the  peasants,  and  the  envy 
of  the  hidalgos. 

"I  did  not  find  the  house  inferior  to  the  description 
which  my  husband  gave  of  it.  It  appeared  to  me 
well  built,  well  furnished,  and  kept  in  as  good  order 
as  if  the  Count  had  made  it  his  ordinary  residence. 
I  was  in  particular  struck  with  the  beauty  of  the 
gardens,  and  of  the  vast  meadows  which  extended  on 
the  north  to  the  very  banks  of  the  Guadalquivir.  Nor 
did  I  consider  with  less  satisfaction  the  wood  on  the 
southern  side.  Barto'.o,  seeing  that  I  was  charmed 
with  this  dwelling,  said  with  an  air  of  triumph:  '  Well, 
my  love,  have  I  deceived  you  in  the  account  I  gave  of 
your  mansion  ?  Is  there  in  Spain  a  place  where  one 
can  breathe  a  purer  air,  or  behold  more  smiling 
prospects  .'' ' — '  No,  unquestionably,'  replied  my  friend, 
still  more  delighted  than  myself  with  the  beauties  of 
my  retreat;  'it  must  be  acknowledged  that  this  is 
truly  the  present  of  a  nobleman.  We  shall  pass  our 
days  here  very  agreeably  if  the  country  gentlemen 
will  be  but  a  little  sociable.' 

"'It  is  true,  indeed,'  replied  Bartolo,  'that  the 
hidalgos  are  a  consequential  set :  when  they  have  a 
common  person  over  them,  it  can  scarcely  be  expected 
that  they  will  treat  him  with  much  respect  or  con- 
sideration. However,  we  every  day  see  rich  merchants, 
after  becoming  bankrupts,  retire  to  estates  which  thev 
purchase  at  their  creditors'  expense,  and  even  trades- 
people as  well  as  ourselves;  but  it  being  our  business 
to  be  good  actors,  we  shall  be  able  to  accommodate 
ourselves  to  their  pride.  That  will  not  cost  much  ; 
and  we  may,  by  flattering  them,  enjoy  ourselves  at 


128  THE' BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

the  expense  of  what  is  ridiculous  in  their  behaviour.* 
— '  I  have  a  better  opinion  than  you  of  these  gentle- 
men/ observed  I  in  my  turn ;  '  I  think  that  there  are 
some  among  them  of  amiable  character.  However, 
be  they  what  they  may,  we  will  oblige  them  by  polite 
and  engaging  manners  to  render  us  our  due.' 

"  It  is  certain  that  we  were  not  prejudiced  in  favour 
of  these  nobles,  of  whom  the  greater  part  inhabited 
mere  cottages.  We  had  imagined  that  they  were 
stupid  and  clownish  ;  and  we  were  astonished,  when 
they  came  to  visit  us,  to  find  them  so  civilised  as  they 
appeared  to  be.  Their  wives,  in  particular,  gave  us 
to  understand  by  their  compliments  that  they  did 
not  want  for  wit ;  and  I  remarked  among  them  some 
whose  behaviour  was  very  prepossessing.  We  gave 
them  all  so  gracious  a  reception  that  they  had  reason 
to  be  very  well  satisfied  with  us;  and  this  they  testified 
by  protesting  that  they  were  delighted  to  have  over 
them  persons  who  treated  the  nobility  with  such  be- 
coming deference. 

"We  went  to  see  them  in  their  own  houses;  and  in 
the  visits  which  we  paid  them,  we  made  it  our  principal 
care  neither  to  say  nor  do  anything  by  which  their 
vanity  could  be  hurt.  With  this  circumspection, 
which  was  absolutely  necessary  to  live  among  them 
on  good  terms,  we  gained  their  friendship.  After 
this  there  was  nothing  but  feasting  and  amusement. 
There  came  four  or  five  gentlemen,  with  their  wives 
and  sisters,  to  sup  with  us  every  evening  ;  and  we  had 
after  the  repast  a  kind  of  ball,  which  sometimes  lasted 
all  night.  I  commonly  passed  the  day  at  home,  at 
play,  or  in  conversation  with  the  women,  while  my 
husband  was  hunting:  with  the  men  in  the  neighbour- 


'THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  129 

hood.  Such  were  my  amusements,  and  very  soon  it 
depended  only  on  myself  not  to  have  others. 

"Among  our  small  nobles  was  one  who  was  named 
Don  Domingo  Risador*  He  perfectly  justified  his 
name  by  his  character,  being  an  unpolite  opposer, 
an  angry  disputant,  a  wrangler,  an  arrant  brute,  and 
withal  insupportably  proud.  No  lady  till  then  had 
been  able  to  subdue  him  :  so  difficult  a  conquest  was 
reserved  for  me.  He  was  pleased  with  me,  and 
avowed  his  passion  with  the  confidence  of  a  gallant 
who  imagines  that  his  love  does  honour  to  the  object 
on  whom  he  bestows  it.  However  great  was  my  aver- 
sion for  this  personage,  I  heard  him  wit'n  patience.  I 
however  assured  him  coolly,  in  clear  and  distinct 
terms,  that  I  did  not  feel  the  least  inclination  to  love 
him,  and  I  begged  that  he  would  never  again  set  foot 
in  the  house. 

"  You  will  think,  perhaps,  that,  mortified  with  the 
ill  success  of  his  declaration,  he  retired  full  of  fury, 
and  converted  his  love  to  hatred.  Not  at  all.  He 
laughed  in  my  face,  telling  me  that  he  would  persist 
in  loving  me  whether  I  would  or  no.  *  I  am  not,' 
continued  he,  'so  easy  to  be  put  off.  I  am  acquainted 
with  women,  and  do  not  take  all  their  grimaces  for 
proofs  of  virtue.  Come,  my  princess,'  continued  he, 
'change  your  tone  if  you  please;  make  not  so  much 
ado  about  it;  it  becomes  you  less  than  another.' 

"At  this  insolent  language  I  could  no  longer  sup- 
press my  rage,  and  in  my  first  transports  I  treated 
Risador  like  a  negro;  but  he  slighted  my  invectives, 
and  went  out,  replying  only  with  laughter,  which 
redoubled  my  fury.     I  actually  cried  witii  rage,  and 

•  This  surname  signifies  a  (quarrelsome  person. 

I 


i3o  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SAlAMANCA. 

I  had  my  eyes  still  bathed  in  tears  when  Manuela 
surprised  me.  'What  is  the  matter  with  you  ?'  asked 
she,  perceiving  the  state  I  was  in.  '  What  cause  of 
grief  can  you  have  in  an  abode  where  everybody  is 
striving  to  make  you  happy  .-* ' 

"  I  gave  her  an  account  of  what  had  passed  between 
Risador  and  myself;  and  when  I  had  concluded,  instead 
of  participating  in  my  resentment,  she  only  began 
laughing.  'You  are  wrong,'  said  she,  'to  distress  }'our- 
self  about  the  coarseness  and  ridicule  of  a  clownish 
lover,  which  you  ought  rather  to  laugh  at.  The  con- 
tempt with  which  you  repay  his  passion  revenges  you 
sufficiently  for  his  impertinence.' — 'You  are  right/ 
replied  I ;  '  in  future,  instead  of  taking  it  seriously,  I 
design  to  divert  myself  with  his  extravagances.' 


CHAPTER  IX. 

OF   THE   MISFORTUNE  WHICH   HAPPENED   AT    THE   CASTLE 

OF    CARALLA,    AND    WHAT    WAS    ITS    CONSEQUENCE 

DONNA    FRANCISCA     COMES     TO     THE    RESOLUTION    OF 
GOING   TO  MADRID  WITH  MANUELA,  HER   THEATRICAL 

FRIEND THEY    PASS    THEMSELVES    FOR     WOMEN    OF 

QUALITY. 

**  I  WAS  now  determined  to  endure  again  the  sight  of 
Don  Domingo  Risador,  without  at  all  changing  my 
sentiments  towards  him;  but  he  refrained  from  coming 
to  the  house.  His  pride  at  length  revolting  against  my 
rigour,  induced  him,  in  order  to  punish  me,  to  form  the 
design  of  no  longer  honouring  me  with  his  visits. 

"  He  did  not,  however,  confine  his  vengeance  to 
this ;  he  insulted  Bartolo,  who,  being  more  of  a  bully 
even  tlan  himself,  drew  on  him,  and  wounded  him 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  131 

dangerously.  However,  Risador  did  not  die,  and  this 
affair  appeared  to  be  passed  over  and  forgotten.  But 
six  months  after,  my  husband  beinc^  out  hunting, 
and  alone  in  a  wood,  was  met  by  Don  Domingo, 
who  treacherously  fired  at  him  with  a  carbine,  and 
stretched  him  dead  on  the  ground.  Although  th!s 
assassination  had  been  committed  without  any  wit- 
ness, its  cowardly  perpetrator,  persuaded  that  he 
should  be  suspected,  and  might  be  taken  up,  took  to 
flight  to  save  himself  from  the  rigour  of  the  law. 

"  I  mourned  bitterly  for  Bartolo,  and  was  the  more 
afflicted  at  his  death  as  I  could  not  have  the  satisfac- 
tion of  avenging  it.  I  however  consoled  myself  by 
the  help  of  Manuela,  who,  ever  ready  to  offer  her 
assistance,  had  the  address  to  soften  my  grief  But 
our  pleasures  were  interrupted  by  this  fatal  accident, 
or  rather  we  grew  tired  of  living  in  solitude.  '  I  do 
not  know,'  said  I  one  day  to  Manuela,  'whether  \ou 
are  in  the  same  disposition  as  myself;  I  begin  to  be 
tired  of  the  company  of  country  gentlemen  and  their 
wives.  I  am  ignorant  what  can  produce  this  change 
in  me  ;  whether  it  be  the  effect  of  my  natural  incon- 
stancy, or  cf  my  husband's  death.' — '  It  is  to  your 
delicacy  only  that  it  is  to  be  attributed,'  replied 
Manuela.  '  A  girl  accustomed,  as  you  are,  to  the 
amorous  discourses  of  noblemen,  must  very  soon 
become  disgusted  with  the  conversation  of  such 
persons  as  we  meet  with  here. 

'■ '  Do  not  imagine,'  continued  she,  'that  I  am  better 
adapted  than  yourself  for  living  in  solitude.  I  will 
also  tell  you  frankly,  that  I  am  growing  tired  of  this 
place;  I  have  not  the  same  pleasure  in  it  I  had 
formerly.     The  different  originals  who  come  here,  no 


132  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

longer  interest  me:  the  ridiculous  may  amuse  at 
first ;  but  it  soon  becomes  disagreeable,  and  at  length 
insupportable.  If  you  will  attend  to  me,'  added  she, 
'we  will  pursue  an  idea  which  has  come  into  my  head, 
and  which  I  have  not  yet  communicated  to  you.' 

"I  asked  her  what  was  this  idea.  'It  is,'  replied 
she,  'to  abandon  this  dwelling  for  some  years,  and  to 
go  and  establish  ourselves  in  Madrid.  We  are  rich 
enough  to  live  there  in  a  noble  style;  and  we  shall 
easily  pass  for  women  of  quality,  since  we  have  all  the 
manners  of  such.  What  do  you  think  of  this  project.^ 
has  it  your  approbation  ? ' — *  Doubtless,'  replied  I ;  '  I 
am  infinitely  flattered  by  it.  How  many  agreeable 
images  does  it  present  to  my  mind!  Let  us  hasten 
to  execute  it,' — *I  am  very  glad,'  replied  Manuela, 
'that  you  approve  of  this  journey.  I  have  a  fore- 
boding that  it  will  not  be  unfortunate.  Let  us  then 
prepare  to  set  out.  Leave  the  care  of  the  house  to 
your  farmer,  with  directions  always  to  forward  you 
the  rent  to  Madrid.  I  will  join  to  that  the  spoils  of 
Don  Garcia,  the  better  to  support  the  figure  which  we 
propose  to  make  in  the  capital.' 

"We  now  employed  ourselves  in  nothing  but  pre- 
parations for  our  departure,  which  were  no  sooner 
made  tiian  we  commenced  our  journey,  with  our  two 
waiting  women,  all  four  in  a  coach;  and  we  were 
accompanied  by  two  valets  mounted  on  mules,  and 
well  armed.  After  a  long  and  difficult  journey,  we 
arrived  happily  in  this  town,  where  we  deemed  it 
expedient  to  change  our  names.  Manuela  took  that 
of  Ismenia,  and  T,  that  of  Basilisa ;  and  representing 
ourselves  as  the  widows  of  two  gentlemen  of  Grenada, 
we  hired  this  house,  where  we  began  receiving  com- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  133 

pail}'.  We  have  attracted  many  persons  of  respecta- 
bility here  by  the  diijuity  of  our  manners,  and  obtained 
their  esteem  by  our  prudent  conduct. 

"We  see,"  continued  she,  "a  numoer  of  noble 
cavaliers,  and  there  is  not  one  of  them  who  does  not 
hold  us  in  esteem  and  consideration.  You  may  judge 
of  it  by  Don  Manoel  de  Pedrilla,  )'our  friend.  I  am 
ignorant  what  he  has  said  to  you  about  us,  but  I 
know  that  he  ought  not  to  say  anything  bad. 
Although  we  allow  him  to  conie  and  visit  us  freely,  we 
have  no  apprehension  as  to  any  report  he  can  make 
of  us.  He  has  seen  nothing  which  could  give  him  an 
unfavourable  opinion  of  us.  If  we  do  not  follow  the 
austere  behaviour  of  ladies  who  deny  themselves  the 
company  of  men,  we  have  not  for  that  the  less  virtue." 


CHAPTER   X. 

OF  THE  CONVERSATION  WHICtf  DONNA  FRANCISCA  HAD 
WITH  DON  CHERUBIN  AFTER  HAVING  FINISHED  THE 
RECITAL  OF  HER  HISTORY — SHE  PROPOSES  THAT  HE 
SHOULD  COME  AND  LIVE  WITH  THEM — DON  CHERUBIN 
CONSENTS. 

Donna  FranciSCA,  my  sister,  here  finished  the  recital 
of  her  adventures,  and  then  said,  with  a  smile :  "  Well, 
brother,  what  do  you  think  of  Bartolo's  widow  .-'  docs 
she  not  appear  to  you  a  person  of  importance.?" — 
"  Yes,  truly,"  replied  I;  "you  have  made  your  way 
in  a  very  short  space  of  time.  I  congratulate  you  on 
it,  and  thank  Heaven  that  I  have  a  sister  in  sucii  g(;od 
circumstances.  But  one  thing  occurs  to  me.  We  are 
subject  in  our  family  to  sacrifice  to  love.  I  fear  that 
among  the  cavaliers  who  visit  )ou  there  may  be  some 


134  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANPA, 

insinuating  rogue  through  whose  means  you  may  lose 
your  estate  as  easily  as  you  gained  it." — "  Banish  that 
fear,"  said  Fiancisca  ;  "I  am  more  capable  of  acquiring 
another  than  likely  to  give  my  own  at  the  price  it  cost. 

"But  let  us  change  the  subject,"  continued  she; 
"since  I  have  the  pleasure  of  meeting  my  brother 
again,  let  us  separate  no  more.  I  offer  }Ou  a  lodging 
in  this  house ;  come  and  live  in  it  with  us.  Ismenia 
will  be  no  less  pleased  with  it  than  myself  You  will 
aid  us  with  your  good  advice.  Embarrassing  circum- 
stances may  present  themselves,  in  which  )Our  prudence 
will  greatly  assist  us  :  )-ou  may  save  us  from  taking  any 
false  steps.    Let  us  be  under  this  obligation  to  you." 

"  The  proposal,  I  confess,  did  not  please  me  at  first. 
I  made  a  scruple  of  becoming  the  counsellor  and  guide 
of  two  beauties,  whose  prudence  I  was  inclined  to  think 
very  equivocal,  notwithstanding  all  my  sister  could 
say.  Nevertheless  I  could  not  excuse  myself,  and 
consented  to  it  at  the  expense  of  whom  it  might  con- 
cern ;  reserving  to  m\self,  over  and  above,  the  right  of 
separating  m)'self  from  them  if  I  should  find  any  cause, 
however  trifling,  to  grow  tired  of  their  company. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DO^r  CHERUBIN  GOES  TO  LODGE  WITH  HIS  SISTER OF  THE 

NEW  ACQUAINTANCE  WHICH  HE  MADE,  AND  OF  THE 
EXTREME  RESPECT  WHICH  THEY  ENTERTAINED  FOR 
HIM  WHEN  THEY  KNEW  HIM  TO  BE  BASILISa'S  BROTHER 
DON  ANDRE  OBTAINS  THE  FRIENDSHIP  OF  DON  CHE- 
RUBIN  HIS  REASON  FOR  SEEKING  HIS  INTIMACY. 

I  "WENT  therefore  to  live  with  my  sister  and  her  com- 
panion, whr  assigned  me  a  small  neat  apartment  in 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  135 

their  house  which  was  unoccupied.  I  removed  there 
the  same  evening,  and  took  with  me  Don  Manoel  de 
Pedrilla.  "Come,  my  friend,"  said  I;  "come  and 
instal  me  in  my  new  abode,  where  I  protest  it  will  be 
the  greatest  pleasure  to  employ  myself  in  advancing 
your  suit  to  Ismenia." — "  I  refuse  not  your  good 
offices,"  replied  he;  "but  I  know  not  whether  I  shall 
benefit  by  them.  Although  Ismenia  appears  to  have 
some  tender  sentiments  for  me,  she  will  not  put  the 
seal  to  my  happiness.  I  doubt  whether  your  friend- 
ship can  do  more  than  my  love." 

There  came  that  evening  to  sup  with  the  ladies 
two  knights  of  Santiago,  who  gave  me  a  thousand 
embraces  as  soon  as  they  heard  that  I  was  the  brother 
of  Basilisa.  "  Permit  me,  sir,"  said  one,  "  to  embrace 
you  for  the  sake  of  your  charming  sister." — "  He  is 
your  living  image,  madam,"  said  the  other,  addressing 
Bartolo'swidow;  "how  rejoiced  must  you  be  at  meeting 
each  other  !    I  participate  in  your  mutual  satisfaction." 

This  discourse  was  but  the  commencement  of  an 
infinitude  of  compliments  which  I  had  to  undergo, 
and  to  which  I  answered  in  what  is  called  the  tone  of 
good  company,  to  show  these  gentlemen  that  I  was 
not  to  be  put  out  of  countenance  on  such  an  occasion. 
They  also  appeared  very  well  content  with  the  speci- 
mens of  my  wit  which  I  displayed.  They  were  still 
more  so  by  some  happy  sallies  which  escaped  me 
during  supper,  and  the  merit  of  which  they  heightened 
by  their  praises. 

These  knights,  one  of  whom  was  named  Don  Denis 
Langaruto,  and  the  other  Don  Antonio  Peleador,  were 
very  different  in  their  characters  and  persons.  Don 
Denis  was  a  tall,skeleton-lik<9  figure,  and  Don  Antoni© 


136  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

a  short  fat  man.  The  first,  to  show  off  as  a  man  of 
learning,  talked  of  nothing  but  the  sciences ;  and  the 
other,  assuming  the  warrior,  fatigued  us  with  recitals 
of  military  affairs.  As  soon  as  one  had  discussed  a 
passage  in  some  author,  the  other,  quickly  taking  up 
the  conversation,  gave  us  the  relation  of  a  battle.  It 
appeared  to  be  a  contest  which  should  tire  us  most. 
During  this  time  Don  Manoel  and  Ismenia  were 
amusing  themselves  with  an  exchange  of  glances, 
which  consoled  them  for  the  annoying  conversation 
of  the  two  guests,  or  rather  which  prevented  them 
from  hearing  it.  As  to  my  sister  and  myself,  we  had 
so  much  politeness  as  not  to  lose  a  single  word,  and 
even  to  affect  that  we  derived  a  great  deal  of  pleasure 
from  it. 

In  recompense,  as  soon  as  these  gentlemen  had 
withdrawn,  I  did  not  spare  them  at  all.  "If  all  the 
cavaliers  who  come  to  see  you,"  said  I,  "be  as  unen- 
tertaining  as  those  who  have  just  left  us,  I  do  not 
think  that  in  quitting  your  hidalgos  of  Caralla  you 
have  gained  much  by  the  change." — "It  is  true," 
replied  Francisca,  "  that  these  are  two  suffocating 
mortals,  but  you  will  see  others  with  whom  you  will 
be  better  pleased."  I  was,  however,  still  less  so  with 
two  secretaries  from  the  office  of  the  Duke  de  Lerma, 
who  supped  with  us  on  the  following  evening. 

These,  being  desirous  of  commanding  as  much 
respect  as  if  they  were  secretaries  of  state,  affected 
a  most  haughty  gravity.  When  they  were  told  that 
I  was  the  brother  of  Basilisa,  they  did  not  launch  out 
into  panegyric,  as  the  knights  of  Santiago  had  done  ; 
.they  contented  themselves  with  honouring  me  by  a 
simple  inclination  of  the  head,  as  dignified  as  if  they 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  137 

had  been  members  of  the  Council  of  Castile.  Al- 
though they  were  enamoured  of  our  ladies,  they  did 
not  appear  to  be  more  animated  towards  them.  Far 
from  addressing  them  in  a  style  of  gallantry,  they 
preserved  a  most  dignified  silence;  or,  if  they  broke 
it  now  and  then,  it  was  only  by  monosyllables. 

I  imagined  that  they  would  at  least  relax  from 
their  gravity  when  at  table.  I  waited  for  that  period 
to  see  them  change  their  behaviour,  and  give  them- 
.selves  up  to  pleasure,  as  grave  personages  generally 
do  on  such  occasions.  But  neither  my  good  humour 
nor  the  allurements  of  the  ladies  could  make  them 
lose  their  office  sulkiness,  nor  draw  from  them  a 
single  smile. 

As  soon  as  they  were  gone,  I  again  broke  out  in 
reproaches  to  my  sister.  "  How,"  said  I,  "  can  you 
make  such  acquaintance  .''  you,  who  are  yourself  pos- 
sessed of  wit  and  taste  .^  These  clerks  were  still 
more  annoying  than  your  two  knigiits  yesterday. 
Really,  sister,  since  you  are  pleased  to  receive  com- 
pany at  your  house,  it  strikes  me  that  you  ought  to 
make  a  better  selection." — "  Have  patience,"  said  my 
sister ;  "  you  will  meet  here  more  than  one  cavalier, 
with  whom  you  will  not  be  sorry  to  form  an  ac- 
quaintance." 

In  fact,  JL  did  at  last  see  several  who  might  pass 
for  the  flower  of  gallantry,  and  whom  I  could  not 
help  looking  on  as  so  many  brothers-in-law,  though 
my  sislcr  protested  every  day  that  she  gave  none  of 
them  encouragement.  There  was  one  among  them 
named  Don  Andre  de  Caravajal  de  Zamora,  who 
united  in  his  own  person  all  the  good  qualities  of 
which  men  the  best  born  have  in  general  only  a  part. 


138  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

A.S  soon  as  this  cavalier  knew  that  Basilisa  was  my 
sister,  he  spared  no  pains  to  insinuate  himself  into 
my  good  graces.  He  had  little  difficulty  in  succeed- 
ing, being  one  of  those  agreeable  men  who  easily 
prejudice  persons  in  their  favour.  He  was  no  sooner 
my  friend  than,  wishing  to  be  something  more,  he 
made  me  his  confidant  as  follows :  "  Sisrnior  Don 
Cherubin,"  said  he,  "  I  love  your  sister.  I  am  rich 
enough,  and  of  a  family  sufficiently  good,  to  induce 
me  to  hope  that  her  wishes  might  correspond  with 
my  own  ;  but  I  perceive  that  she  has  an  inclination 
for  another  gentleman,  and  I  have  every  reason  to 
fear  the  success  of  this  rival." 

I  asked  Don  Andre  who  was  the  gallant  of  whom 
he  appeared  so  much  afraid.  "  You  will  never  guess," 
replied  he,  "  and  when  I  shall  have  told  \'ou,  you  will 
find  some  difficulty  in  believing  me  ;  for,  in  fine,  it  is 
not  Don  Felix  de  Mondejar,  nor  Don  Vincente  de 
Cifuentes  ;  it  is  Don  Pedro  Retortillo." — "  Impos- 
sible !"  cried  T,  with  astonishment.  "  Don  Pedro,  the 
ugliest  of  all  my  sister's  lovers,  a  capricious  creature, 
a  coxcomb !  No,  I  cannot  believe  that  her  taste  is 
so  depraved  as  to  prefer  such  a  man  as  he." — "  You 
may  say  as  you  please  of  this  cavalier,"  replied  Cara- 
vajal,  "  but  he  is  beloved  by  Basilisa :  nothing  is 
more  certain.  She  looks  on  his  imperfections  with  a 
woman's  eye:  to  her  he  appears  perfectly  well  made; 
and  it  does  not  signify  that  his  conversation  is  of  the 
most  absurd  description;  she  admires  his  wit." 

I  promised  Don  Andre  to  do  my  best  to  cross  the 
love  of  Don  Pedro;  and,  not  to  be  worse  than  my  word, 
had  a  long  conversation  with  Francisca  the  next  day, 
the  effect  of  which  will  be  seen  in  the  following  chapter 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  139 


CHAPTER  XII. 

OF  THE   BAD   SUCCESS  WHICH   DON  CHERUBIN   HAD    IN  HIS 

ATTEMPT    TO    SERVE    HIS    FRIEND HE   LEAVES   HIS 

sister's   HOUSE,    AND    DOES    NOT    SEE    HER    AGAIN — 

DONNA  FRANCISCA  MARRIES  DON  PEDRO WHA  T  KIND 

OF  MAN  HE  IV AS. 

"I  DO  not  know,  sister,"  said  I,  "whether  you  re- 
member that  \-ou  begged  me  to  aid  you  with  my 
advice." — "Yes,  doubtless,  brother,"  repHed  she,  "and 
I  again  beg  you  to  do  so." — "  Well,  then,"  said  I, 
"  since  it  is  what  you  wish,  I  am  about  to  take  upon 
myself  the  office  of  counsellor.  But  first  make  me  a 
sincere  confession.  Do  you  love  Don  Pedro  Retor- 
tiUo?" 

At  this  question  Francisca  became  as  red  as  fire, 
and  wa's  quite  embarrassed.  "You  blush,"  continued 
I,  "and  I  need  no  other  reply  to  convince  me  of  what 
I  ought  to  think :  your  embarrassment  informs  me 
but  too  well.  It  is  then  true  that  you  love  Don 
Pedro  1  Oh,  Heaven!  Is  it  possible  that  }-ou  have 
cast  your  e\-es  on  him,  who  of  all  )-our  lovers  appears 
to  me  most  uriworthy  of  possessing  you  !  " 

"Who,"  said  she,  "can  have  so  well  informed  you 
of  a  love  which  I  had  no  idea  of  ever  having  mani- 
fested V — "It  is,"  replied  I,  "a  rival  of  Don  Pedro's, 
who  has  penetrated  the  truth." — "And  this  so  pene- 
trating rival,"  replied  my  sister  hastily,  "is,  I  suppose, 
Caravajal,  for  whom  \'ou  have  the  goodness  to  interest 
yourself.  Well,  since  he  has  discovered  my  senti- 
ments, I  will  not  disavow  them.  Yes,  I  will  not 
conceal  from  you  that  Don  Pedro  has  pleased  me.  I 
am  sorry  that  you  do  not  esteem  this  gentleman  ;  but 


M-O  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

know  tliat  I  view  him  with  a  favourable  eye,  and  that 
I  prefer  him  to  Caravajal,  as  well  as  to  all  the  rest  of 
his  rivals." 

*'  Oh !  in  that,  sister,"  interrupted  I,  with  some 
emotion,  "I  can  by  no  means  agree  with  you  in 
opinion.  I  can  see  nothing  in  Don  Pedro,  pardon 
my  frankness,  but  a  tissue  of  bad  qualities.  He  is 
clownish,  consequential,  full  of  caprices,  and  I  believe 
withal  of  a  jealous  disposition." — "Let  him  be  what 
you  please,"  interrupted  Bartolo's  widow  in  her  turn, 
with  a  hasty  and  mortified  air,  "  whatever  harm  you 
may  please  to  say  of  him,  he  shall  be  my  husband; 
and  it  is  the  same  thing  as  to  quarrel  with  me,  to 
undertake  to  separate  me  from  him." 

My  sister  pronounced  these  words  in  a  tone  which 
imposed  silence  on  me.  I  no  longer  dared  to  combat 
her  ridiculous  tenderness  for  Retortillo,  nor  speak  in 
favour  of  Caravajal,  who  was  with  all  his  merit  obliged 
to  give  place  to  his  unworthy  rival.  I  was  the  more 
mortified  at  this,  as  I  every  day  found  rny  friendship 
for  one  and  my  aversion  for  the  other  growing  stronger. 
I  detested  the  caprice  of  Francisca,  and  began  to  fear 
that  our  union  would  be  of  no  long  duration. 

In  effect,  after  the  conversation  I  had  with  my 
sister  on  this  subject,  she  changed  her  behaviour  to 
me.  She  abated  greatly  in  the  attention  and  deference 
she  had  been  accustomed  to  pay  me.  She  affected 
even  to  avoid  my  conversation,  and  when  she  could 
not  do  so,  she  spoke  to  me  with  coolness.  At  last, 
unable  to  pardon  me  for  not  having  approved  her 
design  of  marrying  a  man  who  was  detestable,  she  no 
longer  viewed  me  but  as  an  inconvenient  and  per- 
plexing censor,  of  whom  it  was  desirable  to  rid  herself. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  141 

As  soon  as  I  perceived  this,  I  resolved  on  my  own 
course.  I  left  the  house,  from  which  I  had  my  clothes 
conveyed  to  the  hotel  where  I  had  formerly  resided, 
and  rejoined  my  friend  Don  Manoel.  After  this,  let 
them  talk  of  the  force  of  blood  :  whatever  friendship 
may  exist  between  brothers  and  sisters,  it  requires 
ver\'  little  to  break  it 

After  our  separation  I  no  longer  saw  Francisca, 
who  did  not  long  delay  uniting  herself  to  Don  Pedro 
in  a  marriage  which  produced  for  her  nothing  but 
bi'ter  fruits;  for,  instead  of  meeting  in  her  second 
husband  with  the  commodious  and  complaisant 
humour  of  the  first,  she  found  that  she  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  most  jealous  man  in  the  world. 
From  the  morning  after  their  nuptials,  the  appearance 
of  the  house  was  totally  changed  ;  no  more  admission 
for  gallants  ;  no  more  pla}- ;  no  more  suppers.  Don 
Pedro  changed  the  servants,  and  placed  over  his  wife 
the  most  crabbed  old  duenna  in  all  Spain.  In  a 
word,  he  made  a  miserable  wife  out  of  the  most  happy 
of  widows.  I  heard  shortly  after  that  he  had  carried 
her  into  the  country  with  Ismenia;  so  that  Don 
Manoel  was  obliged  to  console  himself  as  well  as  he 
could  for  the  loss  of  his  mistress,  as  I  for  the  loss  of 
mv  sister. 


END   OF   THE   SECOND  PART. 


Part  the  third. 


CHAPTER  I. 

DON  MANORL  DE  PEDRILLA  BEING  UNDER  THE  t<ieCtSSiTY 
OF  GOING  INTO  THE  COUNrRV,  PJiEVAIhS  ON  DON 
CHERUBIN  TO  ACCOM PANV  HIM — OE  THEiR  ARRIVAL 
AT  ALCARAZ. 

As  it  is  much  easier  to  forget  a  sister  than  a  mistress, 
in  four  and  twenty  hours  after  I  had  separated  from 
Francisca  I  thouglit  of  her  no  more  ;  instead  of  which, 
it  took  a  full  week  to  wear  out  in  Don  Manoel's  mind 
the  recollection  of  his  beloved  Ismenia.  By  the  time 
the  ladies  were  forgotten,  my  friend  received  a  letter 
from  Alcaraz,  in  which  he  was  informed  that  his 
father  Don  Josef,  having  been  taken  suddenly  ill  of 
a  malady,  from  which  there  were  no  hopes  of  his 
recovery,  wished  him  to  repair  immediately  to  his 
presence,  that  he  might  die  in  his  arms,  Don  Manoel, 
sensibly  afflicted  at  this  news,  immediately  prepared 
himself  for  obeying  the  orders  of  his  parent  ;  but 
wishing  at  the  same  time  to  conciliate  this  duty  with 
his  friendship  for  me,  solicited  me  so  strongl}'  to 
accompany  him,  that  I  could  not  refuse  to  comply. 

We  set  out  from  Madrid  followed  by  a  valet,  al) 
three  mounted  on  good  mules,  and  took  the  road  to 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  143 

Alcaraz,  where  we  arriv^ed  in  less  than  six  days.  We 
found  the  good  man  Don  Josef  just  about  to  make 
his  transit  from  this  world  to  the  other.  There  were 
in  his  room  two  doctors,  who,  saluting  Don  Manoel 
with  an  air  of  gaiety,  informed  him  that  his  father 
ought,  in  the  course  of  nature,  to  have  died  three 
days  before;  but  that,  thanks  to  the  virtues  of  their 
medicines  and  the  care  they  had  taken  of  him,  his 
life  had  been  preserved  till  his  son's  arrival.  "He 
desired,"  said  one  of  them,  "to  have  the  satisfaction 
of  embracing  you,  and  we  have  procured  it  for  him." 
If  these  physicians  had  cured  their  patient  they  could 
not  have  manifested  more  satisfaction.  However,  the 
old  man,  who  was  drawing  fast  towards  his  end,  had 
no  sooner  seen  his  dear  son  than  he  expired,  and 
filled  the  house  with  mourning. 

He  left  behind  him  an  old  sister,  a  young  daughter, 
and  Don  Manoel.  These  three  bitterly  lamented  his 
death,  and  had  his  funeral  obsequies  performed  in 
a  manner  worthy  of  a  gentleman  who  had  been  a 
general  officer  in  the  king's  army  in  the  preceding 
reign.  When  their  grief  had  subsided,  and  Don 
Manoel  had  been  put  in  possession  of  his  father's 
property,  he  again  appeared  in  the  world,  and  did 
not  deny  himself  the  pleasures  of  society.  He  made 
it  his  chief  care  to  introduce  me  to  several  of  the 
most  respectable  persons  in  the  town,  as  a  gentleman 
of  his  acquaintance.  This  was  the  part  I  had  to 
sustain,  and  I  dare  venture  to  say  that  I  did  not 
acquit  myself  badly.  I  was  too  well  supplied  with 
clothes  and  money  not  to  make  a  good  figure.  I 
often  gave  entertainments  to  ladies,  and,  without 
vanity,  drew  no  less  of  their  attention  than  my  friend. 

One  cannot  long  enjoy  the  company  of  fine  women 


144  THE  BACHELOR  OP  SALAMAl.CA. 

without  paying  the  tribute  which  is  due  to  them. 
Don  Manoel  soon  became  enamoured.  Donna  Clara 
de  Palomar,  a  young  beauty  of  Alcaraz,  obtained 
i"he  place  in  his  heart  which  Ismenia  had  formerly 
occupied,  and  even  lighted  up  a  flame  more  ardent 
than  which  had  been  caused  by  her  predecessor.  As 
for  me,  I  paid  general  court  to  all  the  ladies  I  met, 
without  appearing  to  attach  myself  to  any  one  in 
particular.  My  friend  was  much  astonished  at  this, 
"  Don  Cherubin,"  said  he,  "is  it  possible  that  all  the 
fair  ones  of  Alcaraz  should  have  exercised  their 
attractions  on  you  to  no  purpose,''  Does  not  some 
one  among  them  revenge  on  you  the  mortifying 
indifference  with  which  you  treat  the  rest.^" 

I  laughed  at  these  reproaches  of  Don  Manoel's ; 
but,  alas!  he  would  have  been  far  from  making  them, 
had  he  known  the  real  state  of  my  mind.  Very  far 
from  being  insensible,  I  burned  with  the  most  ardent 
love  for  his  sister,  Donna  Paula:  I  secretly  adored 
her  as  one  would  adore  a  divinity.  I  feared  to  make 
known  to  her  brother  a  passion  so  presumptuous : 
however  great  the  friendship  he  manifested  for  me,  I 
imagined  that  should  I  declare  myself  he  would  be 
offended  at  my  rashness. 

I  therefore  most  carefully  concealed  my  love.  I 
even  took  the  vigorous  resolution  of  conquering  it ; 
nor  did  such  a  triumph  appear  to  me  impossible ;  for, 
notwithstanding  my  prepossession  in  her  favour,  I 
was  sensible  that  Donna  Paula  was  not  a  perfect 
beauty,  and  conceived  that  by  separating  m}'self 
from  her  I  might  be  enabled  to  forget  her.  Having, 
therefore,  come  to  the  resolution  of  trying  the  effect 
of  absence,  conformably  to  the  advice  of  Ovid,  I  told 
Pedrilla  that  I  begged  him  to  permit  me  to  return  to 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  145 

Madrid,  but  he  most  strongly  opposed  the  idea  of 
my  leaving  him. 

"Are  you,"  said  he,  "the  friend  who  protested  that 
he  would  pass  his  life  in  my  company  ?  You  tire, 
Don  Cherubin,"  added  he,  "of  this  dwelling,  or  per- 
haps I  have,  without  intending  it,  given  you  some 
cause  to  be  displeased  with  me." — "  No,  my  dear 
Don  Manoel,"  replied  I,  "  I  have  never  been  better 
pleased  with  you  than  I  am  at  present." — "Why, 
then/'  resumed  he,  "do  you  wish  to  leave  me  ?"  He 
then  urged  me  so  strongly  to  discover  my  secret,  that 
I  at  last  revealed  it  to  him,  "  This  then,"  added  I, 
"is  my  reason  for  desiring  to  remove  from  Alcaraz, 
and  )-ou  must  approve  of  my  resolution," 

Don  Manoel,  after  hearing  me  attentively,  assumed 
an  air  of  gloom  and  vexation.  I  thought  that  in  spite 
of  the  friendship  by  which  we  were  united,  the  pride 
of  this  gentleman  had  been  roused  at  the  temerity 
which  had  caused  me  to  raise  my  thoughts  so  high, 
and,  under  the  influence  of  this  mistake,  told  him  that 
he  ought  not  to  be  offended  at  the  avowal  of  a  passion 
on  the  subject  of  which  I  had  condemned  myself  to 
perpetual  silence,  and  which  he  would  still  have  been 
ignorant  of  had  he  not  forced  me  to  discover  it.  But 
in  thinking  thus  of  Don  Manoel  I  did  him  injustice. 
"  Don  Cherubin,"  said  he,  "  I  am  overwhelmed  with 
despair  at  your  not  having  sooner  made  me  acquainted 
with  your  sentiments  towards  my  sister ;  I  promised 
her  a  week  ago  to  Don  Ambrosio  de  Lorca.  How 
unfortunate  that  you  were  not  beforehand  with  him. 
I  would  not  have  passed  my  word  to  this  gentleman, 
though  a  match  with  him  would  perhaps  be  the  most 
advantageous  which  my  sister  could  possibly  be 
offered." 


146  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

I  was  overpowered  by  this  news,  and  Don  Manoel 
appeared  to  feel  very  sensibly  the  uneasiness  it  caused 
me.  But  suddenly  brightening  up,  "  My  friend,"  con- 
tinued he  with  an  air  of  consolation,  "the  evil  is  not 
without  remedy.  I  remember  that  there  is  in  my 
engagement  with  I.orca  one  circumstance  which  may 
render  it  invalid  :  I  only  promised  him  my  sister  on 
condition  that  she  would  subscribe  without  repug- 
nance to  the  treaty.  Regulate  \  our  conduct  accord- 
ingly. Pay  your  court  diligenth^  to  Donna  Paula.  I 
will  furnish  you  with  frequent  opportunities  of  seeing 
and  speaking  to  her  in  private.  Endeavour  to  obtain 
her  affection,  and  if  you  succeed  in  that  I  will  take 
upon  myself  the  rest  of  the  business."  These  words 
recalled  me  in  a  manner  to  life.  I  began  to  flatter 
myself  that  I  might  after  all  become  the  husband  of 
Donna  Paula.  One  thing  only  alarmed  me:  1  feared 
that  this  lady  was  prepossessed  in  favour  of  my  rival, 
and  it  was  upon  that  my  fate  depended.  Happily 
the  very  first  conversation  I  had  with  her  dispelled 
my  fear:  I  could  even  perceive  that  Don  Ambrosio 
was  detested;  a  circumstance  which  my  vanity  induced 
me  to  consider  as  a  presage  of  love  for  m}'self. 


.  CHAPTER  II. 

nOJV  CHERUBIN  OBTAINS  THE  AFFECTIONS  OF  DONNA  PAULA 

DON  AMBROSIO  DE  LORCA  PRESSES  DON  MANOEL   TO 

GIVE  HER  TO  HIM — HE  CHALLENGES  DON  MANOEL  AND 
DON  CHERUBIN — THEY  ARE  VICTORS. 

In  effect,  I  did  not  flatter  myself  with  an  unfounded 
hope.  By  dint  of  acting,  sometimes  the  languishing, 
sometimes  the  passionate,  sometimes  the  dying  lover, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  147 

I  forced  Donna  Paula  to  acknowledge  that  she  was 
sensible  to  my  tenderness.  It  is  true  that  her 
brother  and  her  aunt  contributed  no  little  to  render 
my  attentions  pleasing  to  her,  by  the  praises  th&y 
were  constantly  bestowing  on  me;  so  that  I  had  soon 
the  satisfaction  of  finding  myself  in  the  happy  situa- 
tion of  a  favoured  lover,  who  is  on  the  point  of  being 
united  to  her  he  adores. 

On  the  other  hand,  my  rival,  no  less  amorous  than 
^lyse'lf,  and  reh'ing  upon  the  promise  he  had  received 
/rom  Pedrilla,  pressed  him  warmly  to  the  perform- 
ance of  it.  "  Don  Manoel,"  said  he  one  day,  "  it 
appears  as  if  you  had  lost  the  inclination  of  becom- 
ing my  brother-in-law.  Speak  candidly ;  can  you 
have  changed  your  mind  in  defiance  of  the  promise 
you  have  given  ?" — "  No,"  replied  Don  Manoel,  "  but 
remember  that  when  I  promised  you  my  sister,  I  told 
you-that  I  did  not  engage  to  marry  her  in  opposition 
to  her  own  inclination.  You,  of  course,  understand 
me.  I  am  sorry  to  inform  you,  but  her  heart  has 
escaped  your  endeavours  to  win  it." 

"  Attempt  not  to  put  me  off  with  this,"  interrupted 
Don  Ambrosio,  reddening  with  shame  and  rage  (for 
he  was  one  of  the  proudest  and  most  self-important 
noblemen  in  Spain) ;  "  I  am  not  the  person  with  whom 
it  will  pass  :  I  am  better  informed  than  you  think  of 
what  is  going  forward.  I  know  it  all.  You  prefer  to 
a  man  of  my  quality,  the  son  of  a  petty  village  judge; 
a  mere  commoner,  to  whom  I  will  procure  a  sound 
lashing,  to  punish  his  audacity  and  insolence." — "This 
commoner  you  speak  of,"  replied  Pedrilla,  "  wears  a 
sword,  and  I  must  apprise  you  that  his  enemies  are 
likewise  mine," — "  In  that  case,"  replied  Lorca,  "  be 
both  of  you  to-morrow  morning  at  the  entrance  of 


148  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

the  mountains  of  Bo^arra,  and  there  you  will  find  a 
man  disposed  to  make  you  sensible  that  no  one  may 
break  his  promise  to  him  with  impunity." 

Having  pronounced  this  with  a  menacing  air, 
he  retired  full  of  impatience  for  the  morrow.  My 
friend  came  to  me  with  the  account  of  the  conver- 
sation, and  did  not  contribute  very  materially  to  my 
satisfaction  by  reminding  me  that  we  must  prepare 
ourselves  for  the  combat.  It  was  to  no  purpose  that 
he  showed,  himself,  so  much  courage  as  even  to  laugh 
at  this  challenge  ;  to  me  it  presented  no  image  by  any 
means  so  agreeable.  Nevertheless,  although  I  felt 
my  nature  shudder,  I  failed  not,  for  the  sake  of  my 
honour,  to  put  on  appearance  of  resolution.  I  even 
affected  an  air  of  intrepidity,  of  which  I  am  sure  that 
my  friend  was  the  dupe.  But  all  this  did  not  render 
me  the  more  valiant,  and  I  should  have  had  no  ob- 
jection to  find  our  party  broken  up. 

I  will  confess  more:  to  accommodate  matters,  I 
formed  that  night  a  plan  of  pacification,  by  which  I 
made  a  free  surrender  of  my  mistress  to  my  rival ! 
I,  indeed,  afterwards  rejected  so  cowardly  a  thought: 
I  represented  to  myself  the  contempt  into  which  I 
must  sink  should  I  display  any  want  of  firmness  on 
this  occasion,  and  that  with  my  good  fortune,  I  should, 
at  the  same  time,  lose  the  esteem  of  my  friend  and 
the  love  of  my  mistress.  These  reflections  warmed 
me  by  degrees,  and  so  inspired  me  with  courage,  that 
I  became  quite  impatient  to  engage. 

I  rose,  fired  with  this  excess  of  bravery,  to  fly  to 
the  place  of  rendezvous  with  Don  Manoel,  who, 
although  without  the  aid  of  love  to  animate  him,  was 
txaclly  in  the  same  mood  as  myself.  We  mounted 
(jur  two   best   horses^  and  spurred  towards  Bogarra. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  149 

Don  Ambrosio  was  already  there  with  another  cava- 
lier. We  joined  each  other,  and,  after  salutations  on 
both  sides,  Lorca  demanded  of  Don  Manoel  if  he 
still  persisted  in  refusing  him  his  sister,  after  having 
promised  her  to  him.  "  Yes,"  replied  Pedrilla,  "and 
your  menaces  have  confirmed  me  in  my  resolution 
instead  of  turning  me  from  it." — "Then,"  said  Don 
Ambrosio,  "}'ou  and  your  friend  Cherubin  have  only 
to  dismount." 

It  was  not  necessary  to  repeat  this  intimation  ;  we 
were  instantly  on  foot.  Our  adversaries  alighted 
likewise,  and  having  fastened  our  horses  to  trees 
which  grew  by  the  roadside,  each  presented  himself 
firmly  against  his  opponent.  Don  Ambrosio  attacked 
Don  Manoel,  and  I  had  to  contend  with  the  other 
cavalier,  who  joined  to  the  advantage  of  being  a  good 
fencer  that  of  having  to  contend  against  a  man  who 
did  not  even  know  how  to  handle  his  sword.  Never- 
theless, I  know  not  by  what  accident  I  contrived  to 
wound  this  Hector  so  effectually,  that  I  extended  him 
at  my  feet.  At  the  same  moment  that  my  antagonist 
fell,  Don  Manoel  had  the  good  fortune  to  despatch 
his  own  ;  so  that  we  remained  masters  of  the  field  of 
battle. 


CHAPTER  III. 

WHAT  COURSE  DON  MANOEL  AND  DON  CHERUBIN  ADOPTED 

AFTER    THEIR  LATS  ADVENTURE THEY  ARE    PROSE' 

K.UTED  BY  THE  FAMILY  OF  LORCA  AND  OBLIGED  TO 
RETIRE  INTO  A  MONASTERY — UNCOMMON  PORTRAIT 
OF  THE  SUPERIOR  OF  A  CONVENT. 

The  first  thing  we  judged  it  prudent  to  do  after  this 
melancholy  event  was  to  secure  our  safety.     Don 


ISO  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

Anibrosio  was  related  to  the  Governor  of  Alcaraz, 
and  it  was  very  natural  to  conclude  that  this  governor 
would  set  the  holy  brotherhood  after  us  as  soon  as  he 
shoidd  obtain  intelligence  of  the  affair.  To  this  must 
be  added  that  the  cavalier  who  had  the  misfortune  to 
feel  my  rapier,  was  of  a  family  which  possessed  con- 
siderable interest.  On  the  other  hand,  ^snto  whatever 
p.irt  of  the  world  we  might  choose  to  retire,  mone>' 
would  be  a  most  necessary  article.  All  this  being 
well  considered,  we  resolved  to  regain  Alcaraz  before 
t'ne  death  of  Don  Anibrosio  could  be  known,  to  supply 
ourselves  with  a  good  quantity  of  gold  and  jewels, 
and  then  make  the  best  of  our  way  to  Barcelona  in 
order  to  embark  on  board  the  first  vessel  which  should 
sail  for  Ital\'. 

As  soon  a-  we  had  come  to  this  determination  we 
hastened  to  return  home,  where,  without  loss  of  time, 
we  loaded  ourselves  with  as  many  pistoles  and  precious 
stones  as  we  could  carr\';  we  then  bade  adieu  to  Donna 
Paula  and  her  aunt,  after  arranging  the  means  of  hold- 
ing a  secret  correspondence  with  them  by  letter.  We 
set  out  for  Barcelona  followed  by  a  single  valet;  but 
not  finding  there  any  immediate  opportunity  of  sailing 
for  Italy,  we  were  obliged,  while  waiting  till  it  should 
present  itself,  to  remain  there  for  a  few  days. 

It  is  impossible  to  conceive  what  I  felt  during  this 
interval.  Without  having  been  under  the  same  cir- 
cumstances, no  one  could  form  an  idea  of  the  alarms 
and  inquietude  which  troubled  my  repose.  Though 
I  had  killed  my  antagonist  like  a  man  of  honour,  I 
was  as  much  disturbed  as  if  I  had  committed  an 
assassination.  I  expected  every  moment  to  see  the 
archers  coming  to  seize  me.  Whenever  any  one 
looked  in  my  face,  I  took  him  for  a  spy  employed  to 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  151 

watch  my  motions.  In  fact,  I  had  a  thousand  terxi- 
fying  thoughts  by  da}',  and  a  thousand  dismal  dreams 
by  night. 

Besides  the  constant  fears  to  which  I  was  a  prey,  I 
could  not  reflect  without  remorse  on  what  I  had  done. 
I  repented  having  killed  a  cavalier  instead  of  follow- 
ing the  plan  of  pacification  which  I  had  contemplated 
on  the  evening  before  the  duel.  My  regret  was  the 
stronger  because  I  began  to  fancy  that  I  was  not  so 
deeply  in  love  with  Donna  Paula  as  formerly:  a 
change  which  must  be  attributed  to  the  horrible 
situation  I  was  in;  for  love  delights  in  holding  un- 
divided empire,  and  cannot  even  endure  the  trouble 
and  inquietude  which  he  himself  causes  in  the  hearts 
of  those  who  own  his  influence. 

While  Don  Manoel  and  I  were  thus  agitated  with 
all  the  terrors  common  to  men  whom  justice  is  pur- 
suing, Mileno,  our  valet,  augmented  them  one  day 
by  telling  us  that  he  had  seen  alight  at  the  door  of 
an  inn  some  persons  of  suspicious  appearance,  and 
that  he  thought  he  recognised  among  them  an  alguazil 
of  Alcaraz.  "  But,"  added  he,  "  I  may  be  mistaken  : 
in  order  to  ascertain  the  truth,  I  will  go  and  slip 
quietly  into  the  inn  and  get  an  opportunity  of  ob- 
serving them." 

We  allowed  our  servant,  with  whose  address  we 
were  well  acquainted,  to  pursue  his  own  plan ;  and 
he,  returning  in  about  a  couple  of  hours,  told  us  that 
the  information  he  had  given  was  but  too  true.  "An 
alguazil  and  a  party  of  archers,"  continued  he,  "are 
after  you.  They  are  now  coming  to  search,  one  by 
one,  every  inn  in  the  place ;  and  you  need  not  doubt 
that  they  will  soon  be  here  :  you  have  no  time  to 
lose,  if  you  wish  to  escape.     Hasten  to  demand  an 


152  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

asylum  in  some  monastery;  it  is  the  only  place  in 
which  you  can  now  be  in  security." 

We  judged  that  Mileno  was  right,  and  immediately 
sought  refuge  among  the  Barefooted  Carmelites,  the 
Superior  of  whom  received  us  with  open  arms  when 
he  understood  tliat  we  were  two  gentlemen  whom  an 
affair  of  honour  had  obliged  to  seek  concealment.  It 
is  true  that,  the  better  to  engage  liis  hospitality,  we 
gave  him  to  understand  b\^  our  discourse  that  we 
were  in  a  state  to  make  him  remuneration.  He  was 
desirous,  above  all  things,  to  be  made  acquainted  with 
the  particulars  of  the  adventure  which  had  placed  us 
under  the  necessity  of  seeking  a  retreat.  We  con- 
cealed nothing  from  him  ;  and  as  soon  as  he  had 
heard  our  relation,  "  Your  affair,"  said  he,  "  may 
easily  be  made  up,  for  the  gentlemen  who  have  fallen 
beneath  }-our  swords  brought  their  misfortunes  on 
their  i*wn  heads.  Think  no  more  of  embarking  for 
Italy;  you  need  not  go  so  far  for  safety.  Remain 
quietly  here :  you  will  be  secure  from  the  resentment 
of  your  enemies ;  and  I  hope,  by  the  interest  of  my 
friends,  to  be  able  to  remove  your  embarrassmen.t," 

We  thanked  his  reverence  for  his  kindness  in  thus 
interesting  himself  in  our  affairs  ;  and  it  was,  in  fact, 
a  great  piece  of  good  fortune  in  our  way.  This 
Superior  directed  the  consciences  of  some  of  the 
principal  persons  in  the  town,  and  among  others  the 
Governor  Don  Gutierrez  de  Terrassa,  by  whom  he 
w"as  highly  respected.  The  name  of  Father  Teodor 
carried  with  it  in  Barcelona  the  idea  of  a  good  man, 
or  rather  of  a  man  of  God.  To  this  the  Carmelite 
added  a  good  understanding ;  but  what  was  the  most 
to  be  admired  in  him  was,  that  he  possessed  a  fund 
of  good  humour,  which  he  knew  how  to  reconcile 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  153 

with  an  austere  and  mortified  life.  He  passed  three- 
fourths  of  the  ni^^ht  in  prayer  and  meditation;  he 
emplo}-ed  the  morning  in  listening  to  sinners  who 
sought  conversion  through  the  aid  of  his  ministry'  ; 
and  after  dinner,  in  his  hours  of  recreation,  he  indulged 
with  his  visitors  in  discourse,  in  which  he  displa}'ed 
all  the  wit  and  gaiety  of  a  man  of  the  world.  A  monk 
of  such  a  character  is  a  rarity. 

Father  Teodor  (such  as  I  have  just  described  him) 
ordered  two  cells  to  be  appointed  for  us,  in  which 
were  two  couches,  each  composed  of  a  straw  bed  and 
mattress  of  scanty  materials,  and  which,  notwith- 
standing, hard  as  they  were,  might  be  accounted  soft 
in  comparison  with  those  of  the  monks.  "Gentlemen," 
said  this  holy  Superior,  "you  must  not  expect  to  find 
in  this  as}lum  all  the  conveniences  which  you  would 
meet  with  in  the  world  :  besides  that  you  will  be  but 
roughU'  lodged,  you  will  have  to  subsist  on  our  slender 
pittance,  which  is  adapted  only  to  satisfy  the  cravings 
of  hunger,  without  much  gratification  of  the  palate. 
But,"  added  he,  smiling.  "  1  believe  you  will  have  no 
objection  to  undergo  this  little  mortification,  in  order 
to  appease  that  Heavca  which  you  have  irritated 
against  you  by  your  duel."  We  readily  submitted 
to  this  slight  penance,  and  I  can  add  that  in  a  few 
da\'s  we  accustomed  ourselves  to  the  hardness  of  our 
beds,  and  to  the  frugal  portion  oi  the  monks,  as 
well  as  if  we  had  never  slept  soiter,  nor  been  better 
nourished. 


X54  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

WHAT  WAS  THE  TER  ATI  NATION'  OF  THE  AFFAIR  WHICH  HAD 
PLACED  DON MANOEL  AND  DON  CHERUBIN  UNDER  THE 

PROTECTION    OF    FATHER     TEODOR OF    THE    SUDDEN 

RESOLUTION    TAKEN  BY   THE   FORMER,  AND    IN  WHAT 

MANNER    IT  WAS   EXECUTED HE  IS   PRESENT  AT   AN 

EXHORTATION  MADE  BV  ONE  OF  THE   CARMELITES   TO 
A     DYING    MAN — EDIFICATION    WHICH   DON  CHERUBIN 

DERIVED  FROM  THIS  PIOUS  DISCOURSE HE  DECLARES 

HIS   RESOLUTION   TO   DON  MANOEL,   AND    THEY  SEPA- 
RATE. 

Our  business  was  not  neglected  by  the  good  Father 
Teodor.  In  order  to  get  it  settled,  he  applied  to  his 
penitent  the  Governor  of  the  principality  of  Barcelona, 
who,  finding  his  reverence  greatly  interested  about  it, 
spared  no  pains  towards  bringing  it  to  a  favourable 
issue.  He  wrote  in  the  strongest  terms  to  the  rela- 
tions of  Don  Ambrosio  de  Lorca,  and  among  others 
to  the  Governor  of  Alcaraz,  who,  by  great  good 
fortune  for  us,  was  his  intimate  friend. 

As  Don  Ambrosio  had  been  the  aggressor,  his 
relations  were  not  so  much  incensed  against  us  as 
they  would  probably  have  been  had  he  had  more 
justice  on  his  side.  They  easily  sacrificed  their 
resentment  at  the  intercession  of  Don  Gutierrez  and 
of  the  family  of  Don  Manoel.  They  ceased  all 
further  prosecution,  and  this  business  was  entirely 
settled  at  the  end  of  about  six  months.  The  reader 
will  doubtless  imagine  that  after  this  my  friend  and 
I  returned  gaily  to  Alcaraz  to  espouse  our  mistresses, 
but  this  was  not  the  case.  I  continued  in  Barcelona, 
where  there  occurred  what  I  am  about  to  relate. 

While  the  necessary  measures  were  proceeding  for 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  155 

extricating  us  from  our  difficulties,  I  had  frequent 
conversations  with  Father  Teodor ;  and  the  more  I 
saw  of  him,  the  more  I  was  pleased  with  him.  There 
was  in  him  an  air  of  satisfaction  which  I  very  much 
admired.  This  I  often  remarked  to  him,  and  he  as 
often  told  me  that  if  I  desired  to  have  the  same,  I 
had  only  to  pass  my  life  in  a  monastery.  "  Take 
notice  of  our  fraternity,"  said  he,  "and  you  will  read 
in  their  countenances  the  tranquillity  of  their  minds. 
You  are,"  added  he,  "so  much  occupied  in  your  own 
affairs,  that  you  have  not  attended  to  this,  though, 
believe  me,  it  is  a  subject  well  worth)'  of  observation." 

I  accordingly  turned  my  attention  that  way,  and 
was  in  reality  edified  by  it.  I  was  astonished  to 
see  men  so  content,  who  were  condemned  to  a  life 
so  austere.  I  began  to  solicit  their  conversation 
from  curiosity.  1  urged  them  to  talk-,  in  order 
that  I  might  discover  whether  they  really  enjoyed  an 
internal  tranquillity,  unalloyed  by  any  secret  care. 
I  found  their  language  in  perfect  unison  with  their 
countenances,  and  I  had  every  reason  to  believe  that 
they  were  as  happy  as  they  appeared  to  be.  Hence 
arose  the  most  agitating  reflections.  "What  then!" 
said  I  to  myself;  "tiiere  are  mortals  sufficiently  de- 
tached from  the  wealth  and  pleasures  of  the  world, 
really  to  prefer  the  solitude  of  a  cloister !  How  much 
is  the  happiness  of  such  deserving  of  envy  !" 

Among  these  venerable  monks  was  one  distin- 
guished by  a  talent  equally  useful  and  uncommon. 
He  appeared  to  have  but  one  occupation,  and  that 
consisted  in  hearing  the  confessions  of  the  sick,  and 
exhorting  them  to  repentance.  He  was  constantly 
called  on,  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night,  to  attend 
persons  who  were  dying,  and  dispose  them  to  make  a. 


156  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

Cliristian  end.  Having  heard  that  he  acquitted  him- 
self in  a  most  extraordinarj'  way  in  this  melancholy 
employment,  I  had  one  night  an  inclination  to  accom- 
pany him.  He  had  on  this  occasion  to  exhort  to  con- 
fession an  old  gentleman  of  Catalonia,  who  for  forty 
years  at  least  had  been  living  among  the  banditti  of 
the  mountains  of  that  province.  Two  ecclesiastics 
had  alreadx'  abandoned  him,  being  unable  to  bear 
the  ofTensive  terms  with  which  he  overwhelmed  them 
as  soon  as  they  appeared  in  his  apartment. 

This  hardened  sinner  gave  our  old  Carmelite,  at 
first,  a  recei>tion  not  a  whit  more  gracious.  "  Retire, 
monk,"  cried  he  ;  "  the  sight  of  thee  offends  me ; "  and 
abused  him  in  the  most  furious  terms.  The  monk, 
instead  of  suffering  himself  to  be  repulsed,  replied  but 
with  the  utmost  mildness,  and  seemed  to  have  armed 
himself  with  indefatigable  patience.  The  sick  man  was 
astonished.  "For  what  are  you  come  here,  father.''" 
said  he  ;  "retire.  So  great  a  sinner  as  I  should  spare 
you  the  trouble  of  spending  your  breath  in  vain:  I 
am  too  guilty  to  escape  the  wrath  of  Heaven." 

Father  Seraphin  (this  was  the  name  of  the  monk) 
now  extended  his  arms,  and  put  up  the  following 
prayer,  in  a  tone  which  affected  every  person  pre- 
sent: "O  Divine  Saviour,  Father  of  mercies!  thou 
seest  one  of  thy  creatures  ready  to  sink  into  the 
abyss  of  despair.  Be  graciously  pleased  to  render 
me  instrumental  in  saving  him  from  so  dreadful  a 
calamity.  Cast  upon  him,  I  beseech  thee,  an  eye  of 
pity.  Let  thy  mercy,  O  Lord  !  preserve  him  from 
thy  justice."  The  sick  man  was  terrified  at  this 
apostrophe,  and  asked  if  it  were  allowed  to  entertain 
a  hope  of  mercy,  after  having  committed  so  many 
sins  as  he  had  been  guilty  of. 


y  \.L,  r^ 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  157 

The  Carmelite,  zealous  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty, 
then  approaching  the  gentleman,  expatiated  on  the 
mercy  of  God  in  terms  so  consoling  and  so  pathetic, 
that  all  who  heard  him  melted  into  tears.  To  render 
his  exhortation  still  more  touching  and  efficacious, 
he  himself  accompanied  it  with  tears,  with  which  he 
bathed  the  cheeks  of  the  sick  man,  as  he  every 
moment  embraced  him.  There  was  balm  in  the  very 
manner  in  which  he  spoke.  The  gentleman  was 
moved,  and  when  he  had  a  little  recovered  himself, 
confessed  his  sins,  and  died,  to  all  appearance  per- 
fectly converted. 

I  could  not  after  this  contemplate  Father  Seraphin 
but  with  admiration.  I  cultivated  his  friendship, 
which  he  was  by  no  means  inclined  to  deny  to  a  man 
in  whom  he  could  perceive  so  great  a  disposition  to 
become  a  devotee,  as,  in  fact,  I  every  day  felt  my 
inclination  become  stronger  to  retire  from  the  world; 
and  the  conferences  I  had  sometimes  with  this  holy 
father,  and  at  others  wnth  the  Superior,  insensibly 
inspired  me  with  a  wish  to  pass  the  rest  of  my  life  in 
a  monastery.  This  wish  was  shortly  converted  into  a 
resolution.  I  imparted  my  laudable  determination  to 
Father  Teodor,  who  opposed  it  at  first,  not  so  much 
for  the  purpose  of  turning  me  from  it,  as  to  prove  tiie 
firmness  of  my  sentiments.  "  My  dear  son,"  said  he, 
"  when  \  our  affair  shall  be  made  up,  you  will  think 
otherwise  than  at  present." — ''  No,  father,"  returned 
I,  "  no ;  I  will  die  in  this  monastery,  and  beneath 
your  habit." 

Whilst  this  humour  lasted,  our  business  was  settled. 
The  Superior,  after  announcing  this  piece  of  news, 
asked  me  gaily,  "  Well,  my  dear  son,  which  now  pre- 
dominates in  your  mind — the  love  of  the  world,  or  the 


158  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

love  of  solitude  ?  Which  now  do  you  prefer — poverty 
or  plenty  ?  It  now  rests  with  yourself  to  return  to 
Alcaraz,  where  the  hand  of  a  young  and  lovely  person 
awaits  you.  Can  you  prefer  to  such  a  desirable  lot, 
the  rough  labours  of  penitence  ?  Consult  your  feel- 
ings thoroughly  before  you  determine  on  a  point  of 
so  much  moment." 

I  replied  that  I  had  most  thoroughly  reflected  on 
it,  and  that  I  was  determined  to  augment  the  number 
of  his  monks.  I  added  that  I  would,  on  assuming 
the  habit,  make  over  to  him  all  the  property  I  pos- 
sessed, of  which  I  would  make  a  present  to  the  con- 
vent. To  this  he  made  some  objection  at  first,  "for 
fear,"  he  said,  "  that  he  should  be  accused  of  having 
seduced  me."  I  combated  his  delicacy,  which  held 
out  a  long  while  against  my  pious  intentions;  never- 
theless, as  his  reverence  desired  nothing  but  that  the 
will  of  Heaven  should  in  all  things  be  completed,  he 
had  the  goodness  to  sacrifice  his  repugnance  to  my 
entreaties. 

I  had  not  yet  mentioned  my  design  to  Don  Manoel, 
who  was  very  far  from  entertaining  the  slightest  notion 
of  it.  He  saw  very  well  that  I  had  put  on  an  out- 
ward appearance  of  devotion  ;  but  he  by  no  means 
supposed  that  it  was  such  a  devotion  as  would  lead 
me  to  adopt  the  habit  of  a  monk.  Imagining  that  I 
was  still  constant  to  his  sister,  as  he  himself  con- 
tinued to  Donna  Clara,  he  was  not  a  little  surprised 
when  I  made  known  to  him  the  change  which  had 
taken  place  in  my  mind,  and  my  determination  to 
enter  into  the  order  of  the  Barefooted  Carmelites. 

"I  had,"  said  he,  "calculated  that  you  would  return 
with  me  to  Alcaraz,  that  you  would  espouse  my  sster, 
that  we  should  form  but  one  family,  and  that  only 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  159 

death  would  separate  us." — "That,"  said  I,  "is  the 
hope  which  I  myself  indulged  when  we  entered  this 
convent.  I  formed  to  myself  a  delightful  picture  of 
the  life  I  should  enjoy  with  you  and  Donna  Paula; 
but  Heaven  has  otherwise  ordained  it.  It  has  spoken 
to  me  in  the  tone  in  which  it  addresses  those  hearts 
which  it  would  wean  from  the  allurements  of  the  age. 
I  am  no  longer  moved  by  the  idea  of  the  softest  plea- 
sures Hymen  can  bestow;  or  rather  I  make  a  sacrifice 
of  them  all.  Happy  if  such  a  sacrifice  can  expiate 
the  irregularities  of  my  former  life  I  " 

I  redoubled  Don  Manoel's  astonishment  by  this 
discourse.  "  If  it  were  permitted,"  said  he,  "  to  mur- 
mur against  Heaven,  I  should  reproach  it  for  having 
deprived  me  of  the  dearest  of  my  friends." — "  Instead 
of  complaining  of  Heaven,"  returned  I,  "dread  that  it 
should  place  among  the  number  of  your  greatest  sins, 
having  neglected  to  profit  like  myself  by  the  good 
example  of  the  brotherhood  of  this  monastery.  How- 
ever, my  dear  Don  Manoel,  it  is  not  yet  too  late. 
Leave  your  property  to  your  sister,  and  courageously 
renounce  Donna  Clara.  Love  is  not  an  invincible 
passion,  and  the  recollection  of  a  mistress  cannot 
here  hold  out  long  against  the  succours  which  the 
divine  mercy  will  lend  you  to  subdue  it.  Come,  my 
friend,"  continued  I,  "  make  an  effort  to  break  the  ties- 
which  bind  you  to  the  world.  Remain  in  this  convent, 
to  partake  in  it  with  me  the  sweets  of  a  tranquillity 
which  only  retirement  c^n  bestow.  How  happy  should 
I  be  to  see  \'ou  taking  such  a  resolution  !" 

"  Hope  it  not,"  replied  Don  Manoel  ;  "  I  admire, 
without  being  able  to  imitate  you.  We  are  not 
all  born  for  the  cloister.  It  is  right,  for  the  honour 
of  Christianity,  that  there  should  be  persons  detached 


i6o  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

from  the  world  and  devoted  to  a  life  of  austerity;  but 
we  nia}',  in  all  situations  of  life,  work  our  salvation 
by  fulfilling  our  duties  with  regularity  and  justice. 
Remain  then,"  continued  he,  "in  this  holy  solitude, 
since  Heaven  detains  you  here  ;  but  for  me  it  has 
other  designs,  and  is  pleased  that  I  should  return 
to  Alcaraz,  and  preserve  the  faith  I  have  sworn  to 
Donna  Clara." 

This  was  the  last  conversation  I  had  with  my  friend 
in  Barcelona,  and  we  finished  it  with  mutual  embraces. 
"Adieu,  Don  Cherubin,"  said  he,  with  an  air  of 
tenderness.  "May  you  ever  persevere  in  the  fervour 
which  animates  you  now!"  I  sustained  our  separa- 
tion with  more  firmness  than  he,  and  no  sooner  was 
he  gone  than  I  began  to  forget  him  ;  by  which  I  was 
induced  to  believe  that  I  was  in  a  fit  disposition  to 
divest  myself  of  all  earthly  aff"ections,  and  that  I 
might  in  time  acquire  that  religious  stoicism,  which 
renders  a  monk  insensible  to  the  appeal  either  of 
blood  or  friendship. 


CHAPTER    V. 

NOIV,  AFTER  STX  MONTHS  OF  NOVITIATE,   THE  FERVOUR  OF 

DON  CHERUBIN  BEGAN  TO  DECLINE OF   HIS    QUITTING 

THE  CONVENT^  AND  THE   NEW  COURSE    HE   ADOPTS 

HE    ACCIDENTALLY    MEETS     WITH     THE    LICENTIATE 

CARAMBOLA H/S     CONVERSATION     WITH     HIM HE 

RESOLVES    AGAIN    TO    UNDERTAKE    THE    BUSINESS   OP 
INSTRUCTION — WHAT  PREVENTS  HIM. 

I  WORE  the  habit  of  a  novice  for  six  months  with 
pleasure,  acquitting  myself  with  ardour  of  all  my 
duties,  and  perfectly  assured  that  I  should  pass  the 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  i6l 

rest  of  my  life  in  the  monastery.  Unfortunately  for 
me,  F.ither  Teodor  was  called  from  Barcelona  to 
Madrid,  to  fill  the  place  of  Superior  in  the  principal 
convent  of  the  Barefooted  Carmelites.  To  add  to 
my  mortifications,  I  lost  about  the  same  time  the 
good  Father  Seraphin,  who  died  of  a  pleurisy,  which 
he  had  got  by  over-exerting  himself  in  exhorting  to 
repentance  a  d}'ing  alguazil. 

The  loss  of  these  good  fathers  most  sensibK'  affected 
me.  Deprived  of  these  two  guides,  who  were  safely 
conducting  me  on  the  road  to  salvation,  I  was  now 
given  up  to  my  own  management'.  Nor  was  it  long 
ere  I  again  began  to  feel  the  tyranny  of  those  passions, 
from  which  I  had  fancied  myself  delivered :  so  strong 
were  their  temptations  to  overpower  my  vocation, 
that  I  could  not  long  resist  them.  Nevertheless, 
before  I  yielded,  I  exerted  myself  to  the  utmost  to 
persevere  in  my  godly  course.  I  sought  for  succour 
against  my  weakness,  and  fancying  that  I  should  find 
it  in  the  conversation  of  some  novices,  who  appeared 
to  me  to  have  embraced  the  monastic  life  from 
feelings  of  the  utmost  devotion,  I  one  day  said  to 
one  of  them:  "My  dear  brother,  how  iiappy  are 
you  to  have  forgotten  the  world,  and  to  be  able  so 
courageously  to  pursue  your  pious  career!  Alas! 
wh\'  can  I  not  resemble  you  ? " 

"If,"  replied  the  novice,  "you  could  see  into  my 
heart,  you  wt)uld  not  find  much  cause  to  env)'  my 
situation.  My  family  have  forced  me  to  become  a 
Carmelite,  and  I  am  obliged  to  make  a  virtue  of 
necessity  :  judge  if  I  can  be  so  content  with  my 
situation  as  \ou  were  inclined  t:"  think."  Another 
novice  told  me,  that  having  resolved  to  become  a 
monk  in  consequence  of  his  grief  for  the  loss  of  a  lady 

L 


1 62  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA: 

whom  he  loved,  he  felt  that  he  was  indeed  consoled 
for  his  misfortune,  but  that  there  were  moments  when 
he  regretted  not  having  sought  some  other  method  of 
forgetting  her.  I  believe,  if  I  had  examined  all  the 
novices  round  I  should  have  found  them  not  much 
better  satisfied  with  their  condition. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  I  became  disgusted  with  a  monastic 
life,  and  resuming  my  secular  habit,  left  the  convent 
as  I  would  have  left  a  prison,  delighted  to  find  myself 
at  liberty,  though  wholly  unencumbered  with  money; 
for  I  had  given  all  that  formerly  belonged  to  me  to 
these  good  monks,  and  getting  it  back  again  was  a 
thing  not  to  be  thought  of.  I  could  not  determine 
to  return  to  Alcaraz,  being  ignorant  with  what  eyes 
Donna  Paula  would  regard  me.  I  rather  chose  to 
lose  the  pleasure  of  again  beholding  her,  than  run  the 
risk  of  being  ill  received  ;  besides,  I  was  by  no  means 
too  well  assured  that  in  the  married  Don  Manoel  I 
should  still  find  a  friend. 

I  was  deliberating,  therefore,  what  course  to  pnrsue, 
when  the  Licentiate  Carambola,  whom  I  never  ex- 
pected to  have  seen  again,  all  on  a  sudden  presented 
himself  to  my  eyes  passing  along  the  street.  We 
were  both  equally  astonished  at  thus  meeting  together 
in  the  capital  of  Catalonia.  "You  in  Barcelona!" 
cried  1,  embracing  him.  "  You  too  are  here,"  replied 
he  ;  "  what  has  brought  that  about  .?  " — "  A  silly 
business,"  replied  I,  and  at  the  same  time  acquainted 
him  with  my  late  exploit.  After  hearing  me  to  an 
end,  he  told  me  that  I  had  been  in  great  haste  to  get 
rid  of  my  money,  and  that  I  ought  by  no  means  to 
Have  given  it  up,  but  on  condition  that  it  should  be 
returned  to  me  if  I  should  fail  to  finish  my  novitiate. 
'*The  error  is  committed,  my  friend,"  replied  I,  "so 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  163 

let  us  say  no  more  about  the  matter.  One  thing  I 
ha\e  to  console  me,  which  is,  that  these  good  fathers, 
on  bidding  me  adieu,  assured  me  that  I  should  have 
a -portion  in  their  pra)-ers  for  the  benefactors  of  the 
convent." 

To  induce  the  Licentiate  to  relate  to  me  in  his 
turn  what  had  happened  to  him  since  our  separation. 
*' Wh)',"  said  I,  "did  }ou  leave  Madrid,  and  the  ille- 
gitimate slip  confided  to  your  care  ?  Did  the  Coun- 
sellor of  the  Indies,  his  reputed  father,  dismiss  you 
through  caprice.''" — "No,"  replied  he,  "it  was  I  who 
quitted  him,  and  not  without  good  reason.  I  will 
explain  it  to  you. 

"  '  Signior  Licentiate,'  said  he  one  day,  '  I  am  in  the 
habit  of  having  every  night  some  one  to  read  to  me 
till  I  fall  asleep,  and  without  this  I  cannot  close  my 
eyes.  The  person  who  does  it  in  general  is  taken 
ill  :  have  you  any  objection  to  supply  his  place  until 
he  shall  have  recovered.?'  I  answered  that  I  would 
willingly  do  so,  not  knowing  to  what  a  deal  of  trouble 
I  was  about  to  expose  myself;  and  that  very  evening, 
as  soon  as  he  was  in  bed,  I  seated  myself  by  his 
bolster,  having  before  me  a  small  table,  on  which 
were  an  old  worm-eaten  book,  called  by  way  of  dis- 
tinction, '  his  lordship's  soporific,'  with  a  slice  o"i 
ham,  some  bread,  and  a  bottle  of  wine  to  refresh 
the  reader. 

"  I  took  up  the  book,  and  had  not  read  more  thari 
a  dozen  pages  ere  my  Counsellor  showed  signs  of 
sleep.  When  I  imagined  liim  fast,  I  paused  to  take 
breath,  or  rather  to  refresh  myself  with  'a  glass ;  but 
he  instantly  awoke,  and  I  was  compelled  to  resume 
my  reading.  Astonishing  prodigy  !  ten  lines  of  this 
admirable    book    were    suificicnt   again   to   set   him 


I64  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

asleep  ;  on  perceiving  which,  I  seized  the  j;lass  with 
one  hand  and  the  bottle  with  the  other,  and  swallowed 
one  good  draught  of  Lucena  wine.  I  would  then 
have  eaten  a  bit  of  ham,  imagining  that  the  Judge 
would  give  me  time  to  do  so;  but  I  was  deceived: 
he  again  awoke  so  quickly  that  I  was  unable  to  eat 
a  morsel. 

"Again  I  resumed  my  book,  a  third  time  I  set  my 
good  man  asleep,  and  to  render  his  slumber  more 
profound,  I  did  not  cease  till  I  had  read  three  mortal 
pages  more.  After  having  administered  so  strong  a 
dose  of  opium,  I  thought  my  Counsellor  must  now 
be  secure  for  a  time.  No!  no  such  thing;  the  bar- 
barian instantly  awoke;  and,  observing  that  I  had 
the  glass  to  my  mouth,  cried  out  gruffl\-  :  '  Hey ! 
what  the  deuce,  Siguier  Licentiate,  you  do  nothing 
but  drink  ! ' — 'And  you,  Signior,'  replied  I,  'do  no- 
thing but  fall  asleep  and  wake  again.  You  must,  if 
you  please,  su[)ply  yourself  to-morrow  with  another 
reader:  I  would  not  employ  my  throat  so  disagreeably, 
though  you  should  double  my  salary.' — 'It  is,  how- 
ever,' replied  he,  'what  you  must  resolve  to  do,  if  you 
wish  to  continue  the  education  of  my  son.'  Seeing 
that  he  had  thus  brought  it  to  a  point  (you  know  the 
Biscaxan  vivacity),  I  replied  haughtily,  '  We  will  not 
contest  the  matter  ;'  and  on  the  morrow  we  separated. 

"A  few  da\-s  after,"  continued  the  Licentiate,  "one 
of  my  friends  proposed  to  me  to  undertake  the  educa- 
tion of  the  son  of  a  Catalonian  gentleman.  I  accepted 
the  offer,  and  he  introduced  me  to  the  father,  who 
engaged  me, 'and  has  brought  me  from  Madrid  to 
Barcelona,  where  I  have  now  been  six  months."  I 
asked  him  if  he  were  satisfied  with  his  host.  "Veiy 
much  so,"  replied  he;  "the  parents  of  my  pupil  are 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  165 

a  good  kind  of  people,  and  it  appears  probable  that 
I  shall  remain  with  them  a  long  while.  The  child, 
who  has  but  just  entered  into  his  eighth  year,  is 
idolised,  and  consequently  spoiled  by  his  parents. 
Whatever  mi-chief  he  does,  they  only  laugh  at  it,  and 
pass  over  everything.  I  am  forbidden  not  only  to 
come  to  blows,  but  even  to  scold  him  for  fear  of 
injuring  his  health:  instead,  therefore,  of  correcting 
him  when  he  merits  it,  I  applaud  ever\'thing  he  doe?. 
In  a  word,  I  burn  incense  to  the  idol,  and  find  my 
account  in  doing  so:  by  that  means  I  make  m}'self 
beloved  by  my  pupil  as  well  as  b}-  his  parents,  who 
have  an  infinite  deal  of  respect  for  me." 

I  congratulated  Carambola  on  his  happy  situa- 
tion; after  which,  having  reciprocally  embraced,  we 
separated  with  promises  of  seeing  each  other  again. 
Thus  left  once  more  to  m}'self.  I  plunged  again  into 
reflection.  "  What  plan  shall  I  adopt,"  thought  I, 
"to  extricate  myself  from  the  indigence  into  which  I 
am  sunk  .^  If  I  had  my  Bachelor's  habit,  I  would 
aigaiji  essay  the  business  of  education.  But  may  I  not 
in  my  present  dress  do  pretty  nearly  the  same  thing.-' 
Why  not .''  1  have  only  to  look  out  for  some  great 
house  where  they  are  in  want  of  a  governor  to  con- 
duct some  young  man  on  his  first  entry  into  the  world. 
I  am  as  fit  to  fill  such  an  office  as  that  of  a  tutor. 

I  resolved  therefore  upon  this  employment,  which 
I  nas  determined  to  exercise  as  soon  as  the  oppor- 
tunity should  present  itself.  Providence,  however, 
which  had  other  views  for  me,  ordained  it  otherwise, 
and  changed  the  appearance  of  my  fortune  ail  at 
once,  by  means  of  an  event  which  1  should  never  have 
expected,  and  which  was  preceded  by  a  dream,  too 
singular  not  to  be  related. 


If 6  THE  BACHELOR  OE  SALAMANCA. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Defy  CHERUBIN^S  DREAM,  AND  THE  SUDDEN  CHANCE  WHICH 

TOOK   PLACE    IN    HIS   FORTUNE INCIVILITY    OF    THE 

MONKS HE    BECOMES   A    RICH    HERITOR HIS    INCLl- 

'NA  TION  FOR  NA  RCISSA. 

T  DREAMED  that  I  was  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  in  a 
superb  apartment,  where  I  beheld  my  brotiier  Don 
Caesar  in  his  dressing-gown,  sitting  in  an  arm-chair, 
and  dictating  the  articles  of  his  will  to  a  notar\'  who 
was  writing.  He  had  near  him  a  strong  box,  from 
which  taking  out  several  bags  filled  with  gold  pieces, 
he  showed  them  me,  saying  :  "  Here,  my  dear  brother, 
Don  Cherubin,  here  are  the  fruits  of  my  travels,  and 
of  the  measures  which  I  have  taken  to  enrich  myself 
since  I  have  been  in  the  Indies.  I  am  now  d\-ing, 
and  this  wealth  I  bequeath  to  thee  ;  it  is  now  thine 
own."  He  then  gave  me  over  the  doubloons,  which 
I  was  so  delighted  to  touch,  that  I  awoke  with  the 
pleasure,  imagining  I  had  my  hands  full  of  this 
enchanting  load. 

This  dream  made  so  strong  an  impression  on  me, 
that  I  was  all  in  a  tremor  when  I  awoke.  Instead 
of  reflecting  on  it  as  a  chimera,  I  seriously  contem- 
plated it  as  a  secret  intimation,  given  me  by  my  good 
angel,  of  something  favourable  which  was  to  happen 
to  me.  "  Such  may  be  the  case,"  thought  I.  "  After 
all  the  tales  which  I  have  heard  on  such  subjects,  I 
believe  that  there  may  be  dreams  which  convey  some 
secret  and  mysterious  meaning  ;  and  if  that  be  the 
case,  mine  must  certainly  be  one.  My  brother, 
perhaps,  is  dead,  and  has  left  behind  him  wealth 
which  probably  appertains  to  me."    I  was  so  strongly 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  167 

impressed  with  this  idea  that,  hid  I  been  well  sup- 
plied with  money,  I  should,  I  believe,  have  travelled 
to  New  Spain  in  search  of  my  supposed  inheritance. 
On  the  faith,  however,  of  my  dream,  I  rose  full  of 
joy,  and  with  a  foresight  of  good  fortune,  went  out  to 
walk  about  the  town. 

As  I  was  crossing  the  market-place  of  our  Lady 
del  Mar,  I  saw  at  the  door  of  the  church  of  that 
name,  a  great  number  of  persons  who  were  attentively 
reading  a  placard  which  had  just  been  stuck  up. 
Feeling  some  little  curiosity,  I  made  my  way  through 
the  crowd,  and  was  not  a  little  surprised  at  finding  it 
couched  in  the  following  terms :  "  The  public  is 
apprised  that  an  individual,  named  Don  Csesar  de  la 
Ronda,  who  lately  arrived  from  the  West  Indies 
with  money  and  merchandise  at  Seville,  died  there 
two  days  after  his  arrival.  Those  who  may  have 
any  claim  to  his  succession  have  only  to  repair  to 
Seville  with  the  proofs  of  their  title,  and  his  effects 
will  be  delivered  to  them,  conformably  to  the  in- 
ventory which  has  been  taken  by  the  order  of  our 
Lords  the  Jud^^es  of  Commerce." 

I  read  this  bill  no  less  than  four  times,  not  daring 
to  trust  the  evidence  of  my  eyes ;  nevertheless,  being 
at  length  beyond  doubt  convinced  of  my  good  for- 
tune, I  went  into  the  church  to  return  thanks  to 
God  :  nor  did  I  forget  Don  Caesar  in  my  prayer.  I 
lamented  his  death,  but  in  such  a  way  that  it  could 
not  easSy  have  been  distinguished  whether  my  tears 
were  indicative  of  grief  or  joy.  It  would  rest  but 
with  myself  to  do  honour  to  my  good  nature,  by 
saying  that  I  was  sensible  only  to  my  brother's  death ; 
hut,  besides  that  there  is  a  possibility  of  my  sincerity 
being  doubted,  I  am  an  enemy  to  falsehood,  and  I 


I68  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

will  candidly  acknowledge  that  I  mourned  for  Don 
Caesar,  as  a  good  younger  brother  generally  does  for 
an  elder  whose  death  has  enriched  him. 

All  my  uneasiness  now  consisted  in  the  want  of 
money  to  enable  me  to  go  and  take  possession  of 
what  Heaven  had  so  opportunely  sent  me.  I  had 
come  out  of  the  convent  with  empt\'  pockets ;  and 
being  without  any  resource,  I  found  myself,  rich 
heritor  as  I  was,  cutting  a  very  silly  kind  of  figure. 
After  reflecting  a  long  while,  however,  there  came 
into  my  head  a  plan  by  which  I  deemed  mj'self 
secure  of  obtaining  the  means  of  travelling  to  Seville. 
The  Carmelites,  thought  I,  will  willingly  lend  me 
fifty  pistoles  for  this  purpose.  They  are  good  and 
holy  persons,  who  will  desire  nothing  so  much  as  to 
serve  a  man  from  whom  they  have  received  so  con- 
siderable a  gift. 

Confident  on  this  point,  I  addressed  the  Superior 
who  had  succeeded  to  Father  Teodor,  and  making 
known  to  him  my  situation,  begged  him  to  let  me 
have  fifty  pistoles,  promising  to  repay  him  with 
interest  as  soon  as  I  should  have  obtained  possession 
of  my  brother's  property.  The  good  monk,  after 
having  heard  me  with  attention,  answered  m^  coldly, 
tiiat  he  could  not  do  me  this  favour  without  having 
first  held  a  chapter  of  the  order ;  and  then  put  me  oft' 
for  a  foitnTght,  that  is  to  say,  till  the  Greek  calends. 
I  could  not  have  expected  this  refusal,  after  having 
made  thcni  a  present  of  all  I  had  when  I  was  about 
to  jom  their  number;  but  I  now  perceived  that  those 
who  like  ver\^  well  to  be  obliged,  have  not  ahva}-s  the 
same  disposition  to  oblige  others  in  return,  and  tiiis 
was  particularly  the  case  with  these  good  monks. 
Nothing,  among  them,  can  be  done  without  holding 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  169 

a  chapter,  with  a  promise  of  which  they  lay  asleep  the 
greater  part  of  those  who  have  any  favour  to  expect 
from  them. 

Very  ill  satisfied  with  monastic  gratitude,  I  returned 
in  a  melancholy  mood  to  the  inn  where  I  lodged. 
My  host,  whose  name  was  Jeronimo  Moreno,  taking 
notice  of  my  gloom,  asked  me  the  reason  of  it.  Of 
this  I  made  no  mystery,  and  nothing  more  was  neces- 
sary to  set  him  railing  at  the  monks,  a  thing  that  he 
was  constantly  in  the  habit  of  doing  as  often  as  he 
heard  any  of  them  mentioned,  be  they  of  whatever 
order  they  might.  With  the  exception  of  this,  he 
was  a  good  kind  of  man  enough,  candid,  obliging,  and 
generous.  "  Signior  Don  Cherubin,"  said  he,  "  console 
yourself  for  the  ingratitude  of  these  reverend  fathers. 
You  have  no  need  of  their  purse  to  enable  you  to 
undertake  your  journey,  since  Jeronimo  Moreno  is 
not,  thank  God,  too  needy  to  lend  money  to  an  honest 
man.  If  }'Ou  want  but  fifty  pistol«es  to  go  to  Seville, 
I  have  them  here  at  your  service.  I  am  satisfied  you 
are  a  young  man  of  honour,  and  I  would  lend  you  all 
my  property  with  no  other  security  than  your  word." 

I  returned  thanks  to  m\"  host  for  his  offer,  and  took 
him  at  his  word.  He  told  me  out  fifty  pistoles,  for 
■which  I  delivered  him  an  acknowledgment,  and  two 
days  after  embarked  on  board  a  Genoese  vessel  which 
was  on  the  point  of  sailing  for  Seville.  There  were 
several  passengers  on  board,  and  among  others  an 
'old  merchant  of  Tortosa,  whom  some  commercial 
affairs  had  called  to  Andalusia.  With  this  Catalonian 
I  formed  an  acquaintance;  and  the  similarity  of  our 
dispositions  soon  gave  birth  to  a  friendship  which 
became  so  strong,  that  when  we  arrived  at  Seville  he 
begged  we   might  not  separate,  telling   me  that  he 


170  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA, 

knew  an  inn  where  we  could  be  well  lodged  and  meet 
with  pleasant  company.  I  assented  to  his  proposal, 
and  we  went  to  lodge  together  at  the  sign  of  the 
Parrot  in  Lonxa  Street. 

The  master  of  this  inn,  his  wife  and  his  daughter, 
appeared  so  rejoiced  at  seeing  the  merchant  of  Tor- 
tosa,  that  I  was  induced  to  think  they  had  been  a 
long  while  acquainted.  '•  Here,"  said  he,  "  is  a  cavalier 
whom  I  have  brought  }'Ou,  and  whom  I  entreat  you 
to  regard  as  my  second  self." — "  It  is  sufficient," 
replied  the  host  very  politely,  "that  the  gentleman  is 
of  the  number  of  your  friends,  for  him  to  merit  the 
utmost  attention  it  is  in  our  oower  to  afford  him." 
The  hostess,  who  might  be  about  forty  years  of  age, 
and  who  by  no  means  belied  the  reputation  which  the 
women  of  Seville  have  acquired  of  being  flatterers 
and  coquettes,  could  not  refrain  from  adding  to  this 
compliment  of  her  husband's,  "  that  a  cavalier  of  my 
figure  must  be  satisfied  that  they  could  not  fail  to 
treat  him  with  all  possible  regard." 

In  the  evening,  when  it  was  time  to  sup,  the  host, 
who  was  called  Master  Gaspard,  asked  us  if  we  wished 
to  be  served  in  private.  "  No,  no,"  replied  the  old 
Catalonian,  "we  will  sup  with  you  and  your  amiable 
family;  we  are  fond  of  company."  We  therefore  sat 
down  to  table  with  the  host,  the  hostess,  and  Narcissa 
their  daughter,  tlie  latter  of  whom  joined  to  a  )-outhful 
appearance,  regular  features,  an  air  of  gaiety,  and 
eyes  full  of  a  fire  which  fascinated  the  beholder.  Mine 
v.-ere,  of  course,  frequenll_v'  directed  towards  her  during 
supper.  For  her  own  part,  she  was  by  no  means 
sparing  of  her  glances,  and  she  favoured  me  with  some 
which  failed  not  to  afford  me  a  subject  for  reflection. 
I  thought  I  perceived  in  them  a  desire  to  please  me 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  17 1 

which  was  not  long  without  its  due  efifect.  I  was 
troubled.  I  felt  agitated  by  some  tender  sensations; 
and  my  heart,  which  my  residence  in  the  convent 
had  only  rendered  more  combustible,  was  -"vesently 
inflamed  by  the  beautiful  Narcissa. 

The  merchant  of  Tortosa,  who  perhaps  perceived 
and  wished  to  serve  m}'  growing  tenderness  by  making 
me  pass  for  a  man  of  opulence,  began  speaking  of  the 
affair  which  had  brought  me  to  Seville.  He  dazzled 
by  this  means  the  eyes  of  the  father  and  mother,  and 
multiplied  the  favourable  glances  of  the  \oung  lady. 
Master  Gaspard  now  offered  me  his  services.  He; 
proposed  to  talce  me  on  the  following  day  to  a  lawyer 
of  his  acquaintance,  whose  principal  employment  con- 
sisted in  securing  justice  to  strangers  who  came  to 
Se\'ille  on  commercial  pursuits.  "This  man,"  said 
he,  "will  instruct  }-ou  what  measures  to  take,  to 
avoid  being  cheated  out  of  your  property  by  the 
officers  whom  you  must  employ  to  obtain  it;  or 
rather,  he  will,  if  you  prefer  it,  take  upon  himself  the 
whole  trouble  of  the  business,  and  you  will  be  quit  for 
a  trifling  remuneration  ;  for  he  is  a  man  of  the  most 
disinterested  temper." 

The  old  merchant  persuaded  me  to  accept  this  offer 
of  the  host's,  which  I  did  without  the  slightest  hesita- 
tion ;  after  which,  it  being  bedtime,  the  Catalonian 
and  I  retired  to  the  rooms  which  had  been  prepared 
for  us,  and  which  for  the  apartments  of  an  inn  were 
decent  enough.  I  went  to  bed,  where  I  employed  my 
thoughts  on  the  charms  of  Narcissa,  in  preference  to 
the  brilliant  fortune  which  I  was  on  the  point  of 
enjoyinij ;  but  the  image  of  Gaspard's  daugiiter 
yielding  in  turn  to  the  idea  of  riches,  I  fell  asleep 
upon  gold  and  silver. 


172  THE  BACHELOR  OP  SALAMANCA. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

DON    CHERUBIN   REPAIRS    TO    SALAMANCA,    AND    RETURNS 

TO     SEVILLE     WITH    HIS     PAPERS HE     OBTAINS     HIS 

brother's  PROPERTY MARKS  OF  RESPECT  WHICH  HE 

PAYS  TO  HIS  brother's  MEMORY. 

On  the  following  day  my  host,  to  convince  me  that 
he  was  a  man  of  his  word,  took  me  to  the  lawyer  of 
whom  he  had  spoken,  and  introducing  me  to  him 
"Signior  Don  Mateo,"  said  he,  "here  is  a  gentleman 
who  is  lodged  in  my  house.  He  is  not  very  well 
acquainted  with  business,  and  will  stand  in  need  of 
your  advice,"  The  lawyer  now  gravely  demanded 
what  had  brought  me  to  Seville,  and  I  made  him 
acquainted  with  the  circumstance.  "  In  the  first 
place,"  said  he,  "it  is  necessary  beyond  all  things  to 
have  a  copy  of  the  register  of  your  baptism  in  proper 
form,  with  a  certificate  to  prove  that  x'ou  are  really 
the  brother  of  the  said  Don  Csesar  de  la  Ronda,  lately 
deceased  in  Seville.  Lose  not  a  moment ;  set  out 
immediately  for  Salamanca  to  procure  these  docu- 
ments. Bring  them  to  me,  and  rest  assured  that  I 
will  forthwith  procure  the  property  of  your  brother 
to  be  delivered  to  you,  in  spite  of  all  the  chicanery 
which  can  be  practised  to  keep  it  from  you," 

My  impatience  to  procure  these  papers,  which  were 
necessary  for  extricating  from  the  clutches  of  the 
Seville  justices  the  property  to  which  I  was  entitled, 
did  not  allow  me  to  delay  a  single  moment  unneces- 
sarily, and  induced  me  to  make  such  good  haste,  that 
in  the  course  of  a  fortnight  I  returned  with  the 
register  of  my  baptism,  and  with  certificates  both  of 
the  Corregidor  and  of  all   the  other  magistrates  in 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  173 

Salamanca;  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  deny  that  I 
was  my  father's  son,  and  consequently  the  brother  of 
Don  Caesar.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  Don  Mateo  had 
read  them,  he  cried  out  with  rapture:  "Blessed  be 
God  !  these  are,  indeed,  victorious  documents.  I  have 
further  to  inform  you,"  added  he,  "that  I  have  during 
your  absence  been  with  the  Judges  of  Commerce,  who 
told  me  that  }-our  brother  had  made  a  will  the  evening 
before  his  death,  and  left  you  his  sole  heir.  You  will, 
therefore,  ver\'  shortly  be  in  possession  of  your  pro- 
pert}',  or  I  will  never  more  interfere  in  any  cause, 
however  good  I  may  have  reason  to  consider  it." 

As  this  lawyer  appeared  to  merit  my  confidence,  I 
placed  an  implicit  reliance  upon  him;  and  I  had  no 
reason  to  repent  it,  for  in  about  three  weeks  he  put 
me  in  the  entire  possession  of  Don  Caesar's  effects, 
which  consisted  in  bars  of  silver,  Spanish  pistoles, 
and  various  kinds  of  merchandise.  To  speak  the 
truth,  it  was  not  without  considerable  discount  that 
I  was  enabled  to  extract  these  riches  from  the  hands 
in  which  they  were  deposited;  and  they  were  not 
delivered  to  me  until  after  so  many  formalities,  that 
it  mi^ht  truly  have  been  said  the  officers  of  justice 
were  my  coheirs.  Nevertheless,  after  all  the  moisture 
which  these  doves  had  drawn  from  my  substance,  my 
lawyer  honestly  renumerated  an  infinitude  of  duties 
])aid,  aft^r  all  this  reckoned,  all  deducted,  I  still  found 
my  inheritance  amount  to  clear  eighty  thousand 
crowns. 

What  an  inconceivable  blessing  !  The  first  use  I 
made  of  this  good  fortune  was  to  give  public  marks  of 
gratitude  to  my  brother's  memorx'.  I  ordered  masses 
for  his  soul  in  every  church  in  Seville  ;  I  paid  the 
clergy,  both  regular  and  secular,  to  offer  uptheir  pra}'ers 


174  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

in  his  behalf;  and  in  fact  made  it  plainlx'  appear  that 
Don  Csesar  had  not  chosen  an  ungrateful  brother  for 
his  heir.  When  T  had  discharged  the  duty  I  owed  to 
his  ashes,  I  turned  my  attention  to  my  own  affairs. 
I  sold  my  merchandise,  and  deposited  the  money,  by 
advice  of  the  merchant  of  Tortosa,  in  the  hands  of 
Signior  Abel  Hazcndado,  who  had  the  reputation  of 
being  the  safest  banker  at  that  time  in  Seville. 

While  I  was  thus  putting  ni)-  affairs  in  order, 
Master  Gaspard,  at  whose  liouse  I  still  lodged  with 
the  old  Catalonian,  treated  me  with  the  most  un- 
wear\ing  complaisance,  as  did  also  his  wife  and  his 
handsome  daughter,  from  the  latter  of  whom  I  was 
honoured  with  a  profusion  of  tender  looks.  In  the 
meantime  the  merchant  was  incessantly  expatiating 
to  me  on  the  merits  of  this  girl.  He  was  always 
praising  her  wit  and  amiable  character,  not  forgetting 
her  virtue.  I  saw  very  plainly  the  point  to  which  he 
would  bring  me;  he  wished,  as  well  as  the  host  and 
hostess,  to  see  me  espouse  this  very  amiable  lady, 
to  whom  he  was  godfather,  and  perhaps  something 
besides.  I  was  well  enough  inclmed  to  commit  this 
folly;  and  I  believe  that  I  should  have  committed  it, 
if  I  had  not  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  saved  from  it 
by  a  piece  of  intelligence  which  I  received,  and  which 
will  be  read  in  the  following  chapter. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  175 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

DON       CHERUBirf      MEETS       WITH        MILENO WHAT        HE 

LEARNS  FROM  HIM,  AND  THE  NEWS  WHICH  PRE- 
VENTS HIM  FROM  ESPOUSING  THE  DAUGHTER  OF 
MASTER  GASPARD,  AND  CAUSES  HIM  TO  LEAVE 
SEVILLE  AS  PRECIPITATELY  AS  IF  HE  HAD  BEEN 
GUILTY  OF  SOME   CRIME. 

It  is  certain  that  I  was  enamoured  of  Narcissa,  and, 
imagining  that  I  alone  was  beloved  by  her,  I  was  on 
the  point  of  asking  her  from  her  father,  when  by 
accident  I  one  day  met  with  Mileno,  whom  I  supposed 
to  have  been  still  in  the  service  of  Pedrilla.  "  Ah, 
my  dear  Mileno,"  cried  I,  "  is  it  you  ?  Is  Don  Alanoel 
in  Seville  ?" — "  I  am  no  longer  with  him,"  replied  he  ; 
'*  we  separated  on  account  of  a  quarrel  I  had  with 
his  cook,  about  a  waiting  maid  of  Donna  Paula.  The 
cook  and  I  were  both  very  fond  of  this  young  person  ; 
and,  becoming  jealous  of  each  other,  we  fought,  and  I 
having  wounded  my  man  desperately,  was  obliged  to 
flv.  I  came  directly  to  Seville,  where  I  have  the  honour 
of  serving  a  young  canon,  who  contrives  to  reconcile 
with  his  breviary  the  pleasure  of  having  a  mistress. 
He  secretly  visits,  throu^^h  the  agency  of  an  officious 
old  woman  and  myself,  the  daughter  of  an  innkeeper." 
These  last  words  made  me  shudder,  and  1  trem- 
blingly asked  Mileno  if  he  knew  the  name  of  the 
innkeeper.  "  He  is  called,"  said  he,  "  Master  Gaspard, 
and  his  daughter's  name  is  Narcissa.  You  know 
them,  I  presume,"  added  he,  "  since  you  change 
countenance  at  hearing  their  names.  You  take  some 
interest  in  this  lady?" — "More  than  you  imagine, 
child,"  replied  1.    "  1  am  enamoured  of  this  perfidious 


1/6  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

beauty ;  you  have  done  me  a  good  office  by  giving 
me  the  information  I  have  just  obt  lined  from  you, 
and  of  which  I  shall  not  fail  to  profit." 

"If  I  had  known,"  returned  he,  "that  }ou  were 
about  to  unite  your  fate  with  Narcissa's,  I  would  have 
taken  good  care  to  have  said  nothing  of  her  weakness 
for  the  Licentiate  Don  Bias  Mugerillo,  my  m.ister. 
We  ought  to  injure  no  one,  and  I  should  be  extremely 
sorry  that  any  report  of  mine  should  prevent  you 
from  espousing  a  charming  girl  who  has  only  a  little 
matter  of  gallantry  to  be  laid  to  her  charge." — 
"  Signior  Mileno,"  replied  I,  "  cease,  if  }'ou  please, 
your  ill-timed  raillery,  and  continue  your  very  honour- 
able services  to  your  very  chaste  master.  Give  me 
some  information  about  Don  Manoel.  Has  he  become 
the  husband  of  Donna  Clara  .'' " — "  No,  indeed,  has 
he  not,"  replied  he.  "You  do  not  know  then  that  on 
his  return  from  Barcelona  to  Alcaraz  he  learned  that 
this  lady  was  in  a  convent  of  the  nuns  of  Ninaterra, 
and  had  taken  the  veil ;  so  that  in  ail  likelihood  she 
is  lost  to  him  for  ever." — "And  in  what  situation," 
said  I,  'did  you  leave  Donna  Paula?" — "In  that," 
said  he,  "  of  a  girl  who  would  have  been  very  glad  to 
have  borne  with  you  the  \'oke  of  Hymen,  and  who, 
conceiving  herself  under  the  necessity  of  relinquishing 
such  an  expectation,  has  taken  an  aversion  to  marriage, 
and  will  no  longer  hear  of  it." 

I  would  willingly  have  had  a  long  conversation 
with  Mileno,  but  he  was  unable  to  remain  with  me, 
and  quitted  me  suddenly,  sa}ing:  "Adieu,  Signior  Don 
Cherubin ;  pardon  me  for  not  stopping  longer.  I  am 
in  haste.  My  master  has  in\ited  five  or  -six  of  his 
intimate  friends  to  sup  with  him  this  evening,  and  I  am 
going  to  order  a  repast  worth)'  of  their  sensuality," 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  177 

When  Mileno  had  left  me  I  fell  into  a  train  of 
reflection.  Zooks!  thought  I,  there  are  some  con- 
foundedly deceitful  faces  in  the  world.  Who  would 
not,  like  myself,  have  supposed  that  this  Narcissa 
was  prudent  and  virtuous.''  It  must  be  admitted  that 
my  brows  have  had  a  most  fortunate  escape.  Then 
turning  my  thoughts  to  Don  Manoel,  and  pitying 
him  for  having  lost  a  mistress  so  estimable  as  Donna 
Clara,  I  participated  in  his  affliction.  "If  I  were  at 
Alcaraz,"  said  I,  "  at  this  time,  I  should  be  a  great 
consolation  to  him.  What  prevents  me  from  going? 
M\'  esteem  for  my  friend,  and  m\'  regard  for  my  own 
happiness,  both  urge  me  to  it."  Unworthy  as  Narcissa 
has  proved  herself  of  my  tenderness,  I  still  find  her 
influence  over  my  heart,  and  to  forget  her  I  must 
again  return  to  the  company  of  Donna  Paula.  The 
result  of  these  reflections  waa  that  I  determined 
immediately  to  take  the  road  to  Alcaraz.  I  set  out 
privately  from  Seville ;  but  when  I  was  on  the  point 
of  going  away,  conveyed  a  billet  to  the  daughter  of 
Master  Gaspard,  in  which  I  informed  her  that  being 
under  the  necessity  of  quitting  her  for  some  time,  I 
had  left  to  a  young  canon  of  the  cathedral  the  care 
of  consoling  her  during  my  absence. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

DON  CHERUBIN  RETURNS  TO  ALCARAZ — IN  WHAT  STATE 
HE  THERE  FOUND  DON  MANOEL  DE  PEDRILLA  AND 
HIS      SISIER     DONNA       PAULA — OF      THE      RECEPTION 

WHICH     THEY     GAVE    HIM HIS    LOVE    FOR     DON    MA- 

NOEL's  sister  REVIVES. 

After  having  been  il!  fed,  ill  lodged,  and  otherwise 
tormented   during  six  days,  I  arrived  at  Alcaraz.     I 

M 


178  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

alighted  at  the  residence  of  Pedrilla,  who  imagined 
that  he  beheld  a  phantom  when  I  appeared  before 
him.  "  Is  this  an  illusion  ?  "  exclaimed  he.  "  Is  it 
really  Don  Cherubin  de  la  Ronda  whom  I  behold  ?" 
— "  Yes,  my  friend,"  replied  I,  "  it  is  himself.  I  am 
he  whom  you  left  at  Barcelona  in  a  habit  which 
my  feeble  virtue  did  not  permit  me  to  persevere  in 
wearing."  I  then  informed  him  how  my  fervour  had 
relaxed  so  much,  that  I  was  unable  to  complete  my 
novitiate.  "  And  I  suppose,"  said  he,  "  the  monks 
gave  you  back  a  part,  at  least,  of  the  money  you  had 
made  over  to  them  when  you  a.,3  uned  the  frock." — 
"  N'?,  no,"  replied  I,  "there  was  no  thought  of  any 
such  generosity  ;  but  I  should  not  have  complained 
of  them,  had  they  not  refused  to  lend  me  fifty 
pistoles,  which  I  solicited  from  them  a  few  da}'S 
after  I  left  the  convent."  At  these  words,  Don 
Manoel  gave  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  which  was  as 
good  as  a  volley  of  the  most  violent  declamations 
against  the  monks.  "  You  must,"  said  he,  "  permit 
my  friendship  to  reproach  you  for  suffering  me  to 
remain  in  ignorance  of  your  situation.  Do  }'Ou  not 
know  that  among  good  Spaniards  it  is  an  offence  to 
a  friend  not  to  have  recourse  to  him  when  one  has 
need  either  of  his  purse  or  his  sword  .'' 

"  By  way  of  reparation  for  your  fault,  you  shall 
always  remain  with  me  and  partake  my  fortune.  All 
that  I  exact  from  your  gratitude  is,  that  you  will  be 
convinced  your  misfortunes  can  never  lessen  my 
friendship.  I  will  go  further;  I  promised  you  my 
sister,  and  I  now  renew  my  promise.  She  still 
preserves  the  same  sentiments  for  you  which  she 
indulged  before  you  went  to  Barcelona;  for  think  not 
that  by  leaving  her  you  have  in  any  degree  lost  the 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  179 

place  you  possessed  in  her  heart.  She  has  wept  your 
inconstancy,  but  without  complaining  of  you." 

I  could  not  hear  Pedrilla  speak  thus  without  being 
most  sensibly  afifected,  and  pressing  him  closely  in 
my  arms,  "  Ah,  my  dear  Don  Manoel,"  said  I,  "  what 
a  happiness  for  me  to  have  a  friend  like  yourself,  and 
how  delighted  am  I  to  think  that  I  may  still  aspire 
to  the  possession  of  Donna  Paula  !  My  joy  is  the 
greater  since  I  am  not  in  the  state  of  indigence 
which  you  imagine,  I  have  eighty  thousand  crowns 
to  offer  her  with  my  hand." — "  Is  it  possible,"  cried 
Don  Manoel,  "  that  fortune  has  showered  on  you 
such  blessings  in  so  short  a  time  ?  " 

I  then  gave  my  friend  an  account  of  all  that 
happened  to  me  since  I  left  the  convent ;  and  so 
delighted  was  he  with  the  intelligence  that  he 
immediately  conducted  me  to  Donna  Paula,  to  whom 
he  cried  out  in  a  transport  of  joy:  "Great  news! 
Here  is  Don  Cherubin  de  la  Ronda,  who  has  returned 
as  much  as  ever  devoted  to  you." — "  Yes,  madam," 
said  I,  "  love  has  again  brought  me  to  your  feet. 
Heaven,  satisfied  with  the  efforts  I  made  to  detach 
myself  from  your  charms,  has  sent  back  the  lover  of 
whom  it  was  not  willing  to  deprive  }'on." — "  I  pardon 
you  for  those  efforts,"  replied  she  ;  '"  my  pride  is  not 
offended  by  them,  and  I  have  too  much  respect  for 
the  motives  of  your  inconstancy  to  reproach  you  for 
it." 

"  How  happy  are  you  both,"  cried  my  friend. 
"  The  moment  is  approaching  which  is  to  carry  j'our 
pleasure  to  the  highest ;  but  for  me,  miserable  sport 
of  love,  I  have  lost  for  ever  the  hope  of  possessing 
Donna  Clara.  I  have  just  heard  that  she  has  pro- 
fessed, and  that  the  cruel  girl  has  left  me  to  the  task 


l8o  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

of  forgetting  her.  Don  Cherubin,"  continued  he,  "this 
was  news  you  did  not  expect." — "Nay,"  replied  I, 
"I  alread}'  knew  it.  Mileno,  whom  I  met  in  Seville, 
informed  me  of  it.  I  deeply  lament  your  griefs,  but 
I  hope  that  by  sharing  them  with  you  I  shall  at  least 
contribute  to  soften  them." 

These  two  tasks,  therefore,  now  devolved  upon  me, 
to  console  the  brother  and  to  make  love  to  the  sister. 
I  acquitted  myself  so  well  in  both,  that  I  diminished 
the  chagrin  of  one,  and  augmented  the  love  of  the 
other.  It  is  true,  that  if  by  my  exertions  the  passion 
of  Donna  Paula  was  increased,  she  failed  not  on  her 
part  to  excite  most  effectually  my  own,  and  soon 
restored  it  to  its  original  warmth. 


CHAPTER    X. 

BY    WHAT    ACCIDENT     DON    CHERUIBN    HEARS    NEWS    OF 

HIS   SISTER,    AND    HOW   HE    WAS   AFFECTED    BY    IT 

HE     MARRIES     DONNA     PAULA — HONOURS    WHICH    HE 
RECEIVES. 

Whil-E  waiting  till  I  should  become  the  happy  hus- 
band of  Donna  Paula,  I  passed  my  time  agreeably 
among  the  most  brilliant  youth  of  Alcaraz.  One 
evening  that  I  was  on  a  visit  at  one  of  the  principal 
houses  of  the  town,  we  were  joined  by  a  tall,  thin 
man,  to  whom  the  company  appeared  solicitous  to 
show  a  particular  portion  of  civility.  On  taking 
notice  of  this  cavalier,  I  recognised  him  as  Don 
Denis  de  Langaruto,  the  Knight  of  Santiago,  whom 
I  had  met  with  at  my  sister's  in  Madrid.  He  also 
recollected  me,  and  throwing  himself  on  my  neck, 
•'Signior  Don  Cherubin,"  said  he,  "will  permit  me  to 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  i8r 

embrace  him.  I  am  delighted  at  meeting  with  him 
again."  Not  to  be  behindhand  with  this  gentleman  in 
politeness,  I  manifested  as  much  joy  as  himself;  and 
God  knows  at  the  same  time  how  little  either  of  us 
was  interested  by  the  meeting. 

We  supped  together  at  this  house.  As  there  were 
ten  or  a  dozen  at  table,  the  conversation  was  not 
always  general,  each  from  time  to  time  addressing 
himself  in  an  undertone  to  the  person  who  sat  by 
him.  Being  placed  near  Don  Denis,  we  consequently 
often  discoursed  together.  "  Signior  Don  Cherubin," 
said  he,  "I  felt,  I  assure  you,  the  greatest  possible 
concern  for  the  accident  which  happened  to  your 
sister's  husband,  Don  Pedro  Retortillo."  I  demanded, 
with  an  air  of  surprise,  what  was  the  accident  he 
alluded  to.  "  How  then ! "  said  he ;  "  are  you  ignorant 
that  Don  Pedro,  while  engaged  in  hunting  about 
three  months  ago,  was  thrown  from  his  horse,  and 
hurt  so  seriously  that  he  did  not  survive  his  fall  two 
hours.?" — "I  was,  indeed,"  said  I,  "unacquainted 
with  this ;  and  that  ought  not  to  surprise  you,  for  I 
have  quarrelled  with  my  sister  ever  since  her  marriage 
with  Don  Pedro,  and  all  intercourse  between  us  is 
entirely  broken  off.  But,"  continued  I,  "pray  be  so 
kind,  Signior  Don  Denis,  as  to  inform  me  whether 
what  you  have  mentioned  may  bf  relied  on  as  fact." — 
"You  need  entertain  no  doubt  on  the  subject,"  replied 
he;  "this  accident  happened  to  your  brother-in-law 
near  Cuenga,  in  his  Chateau  de  Villardesaz,  where  he 
went  to  reside  with  his  wife  a  few  days  after  their 
wedding," 

I  was  so  much  affected  by  this  news,  that  my  mind 
was  full  of  it  all  the  rest  of  the  evening.  My  sister, 
towards  whom  I  imagined  myself  totally  indifferent, 


1 82  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

presented  herself  to  my  thought  in  such  a  way  as 
made  rue  sensible  that  I  was  still  interested  in  her 
welfare.  The  cause  of  our  rupture  subsisting'  ro 
longer,  nature  easily  resumed  her  rights.  As  soon  as 
I  saw  Don  Manoel,  I  told  him  of  the  fatal  accident 
of  which  Don  Denis  had  informed  me.  I  then  ex- 
pressed some  curiosity  to  know  in  what  state  were 
my  sister's  affairs  at  that  time.  "  I  am  not  less  curious 
than  you,"  replied  my  friend.  "We  will,  if  you  think 
proper,  repair  to  Villardesaz,  to  console  this  beautiful 
widow  for  the  death  of  her  husband  ;  and  we  shall 
at  the  same  time  see  Isnienia,  who  I  suppose  is  still 
with  her.  But,"  added  he,  "  I  am  of  opinion  that  it 
will  be  better  to  postpone  this  journey  till  after  your 
nuptiaLs."  To  this  delay  I  a.ssented  the  more  readily, 
as  I  was  extremely  anxious  to  become  the  brother- 
in-law  of  Don  Manoel  de  Pedrilla. 

The  preparations  for  m\'  marriage  were  therefore 
made  with  the  utmost  magnificence,  and  I  espoused 
Donna  Paula,  who  united  her  lot  to  mine  with  a 
satisfaction  which  rendered  my  happiness  complete. 
There  was  nothing  during  a  foitni_;ht  but  concerts, 
balls,  and  entertainments.  Had  I  been  the  Grand 
Seignior,  I  do  not  suppose  that  my  wedding  could 
have  been  celebrated  by  more  feasts  and  rejoicings. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

WITH     WHAT    GENTLEMAN     DON     CHERUBIN    BECAME    AC- 
QUAINTED, AND  WHAT  ENSUED — HE   SETS    OUT  WjTH 

DON    MANOEL    FOR    CLEVILLENTh's    COUNTRY   SEAT 

WHAT  HE  MET  WITH  THERE. 

Among   the    young    gentlemen    who    were    at    my 
nuptials,  there  was  one  who  particularly  struck  me 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  iS^ 

by  h's  noble  and  agreeable  air.  As  soon  as  I  saw 
him,  I  demanded  of  Don  Manoel  who  was  that  hand- 
some cavalier.  "  He  is  called,"  replied  he,  "  Don 
Gregorio  de  Cleviliente." 

At  the  name  of  Cleviliente  I  changed  countenance 
and  became  exceedingly  agitated,  entertaining  no 
doubt  that  this  gentleman  was  the  seducer  of  my 
sister  Francisca.  Nevertheless,  I  concealed  my 
emotion  from  the  eyes  of  Pedrilla,  who  thus  con- 
tinued :  "  He  is  returning  from  Calatrava,  and  is 
passing  through  Alcaraz,  on  his  way  to  his  country 
seat,  which  is  near  Alicant.  I  am  extremely  happy 
at  having  become  acquainted  with  him  ;  he  appears 
to  me  an  accomplished  gentleman." 

If  Don  Gregorio  pleased  Don  Manoel,  Don  Manoel 
was  on  his  side  no  less  agreeable  to  Don  Gregorio, 
v/ho  stopped  a  fortnight  at  Alcaraz,  during  which 
time  there  grew  up  between  these  gentlemen  so 
intimate  a  friendship,  that  I  was  at  first  a  little  jealous 
of  it.  But  my  jealousy  could  not  hold  out  against 
the  advances  which  Cleviliente  made  to  obtain  my 
friendship;  so  that  forgetting  what  might  have  opposed 
it,  I  honestly  met  the  sincere  and  afifectionate  senti- 
ments which  he  manifested  towards  myself.  This 
cavalier,  the  evening  before  his  departure,  after  ex- 
pressing his  regret  at  leaving  us,  proposed  to  carry  us 
to  his  castle  for  a  few  days,  and  urged  his  request  in 
a  manner  so  pressing,  that  we  consented.  J  set  out, 
therefore,  for  Clevillente's  abode,  not  because  it  was 
possible  to  derive  any  pleasure  from  the  sight  of  a 
house  which  the  brother  of  my  sister  must  necessarily 
view  with  pain,  but  drawn  thither  by  a  secret  inspira- 
tion of  heaven,  which  chose  by  my  ministry  to 
accomplish  its  designs. 


l84  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

The  first  object  which  struck  my  view  in  this  house 
was  a  boy  about  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age,  who  came 
to  throw  himself  into  the  arms  of  Don  Gregorio.  who 
having  affectionately  caresr?ed  him,  presented  him  to 
us,  saying,  "You  see  here  the  fruit  of  my  earliest 
love."  We  thought  this  boy  extremely  prett\\  Don 
Manoel  and  I  embraced  hini,  and  congratulated  Don 
Gregorio  on  having  so  promising  a  son.  Clevillente 
appeared  grateful  for  the  compliments  we  paid  him 
on  this  subject.  "  This  child,"  said  he,  "  is  so  much  the 
more  dear  to  me,  as  he  is  the  offspring  of  a  mother 
whom  I  cannot  console  myself  for  having  lost." 

He  accompanied  these  words  with  a  sigh  which  I 
re-echoed,  in  order  to  induce  him  to  relate  a  story  in 
which  I  had  but  too  much  reason  to  fear  that  my 
sister  was  interested.  "  It  is  melancholy,  sir/'  said  I, 
*'to  have  a  beloved  object  snatchcjd  from  one  by 
death." — "  The  person  wliose  loss  I  lament,"  said  he, 
"is  not  yet  dead;  so,  at  least,  I  imagine:  but  it  is 
mow  ten  years  since  she  disappeared  from  this  house, 
and,  notwithstanding  all  the  measures  I  have  taken 
to  discover  her,  I  know  not  what  has  become  of 
her." 

"You  give  us,"  said  Don  Manoel,  "a  great  idea  of 
her  charms  :  they  must  be  ravishing,  since  after  ten 
years  you  still  take  so  much  pleasure  in  thinking  of 
her." — "She  was  not,"  replied  he,  "a  finished  beauty; 
however,  so  captivating  was  her  whole  appearance, 
that  it  was  impossible  to  see  without  loving  her.  You 
shall  judge  for  yourselves,"  added  he,  "  if  you  will 
follow  me."  At  these  words  he  led  us  into  his  closet; 
where,  amongst  a  great  number  of  portraits,  was  that 
of  my  sister.  I  knew  it  immediately,  so  great  was 
the  resemblance ;    all  the  difference   I    found   being 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  1S5. 

that  the  cop\'  had  a  striking  appearance  of  youth 
which  the  original  began  to  want. 

"There,"  said  C'evillente,  pointing  with  his  finger 
to  the  portrait  in  question,  "are  the  features  of 
Francillo's  mother !  "  I  did  not  pretend  to  recollect 
Francisca  in  this  portrait,  nevertheless  I  was  persuaded 
that  Francillo'  was  her  child,  "I  cannot,"  said  I  to 
m\self,  "refrain  from  thinking  so,  though  she  made 
no  mention  of  him  in  the  relation  of  her  adventures. 
She  must  have  deemed  it  most  proper  to  suppress 
this  circumstance,  thinking  that  such  suppression 
rendered  her  tal-e  more  iimocent."  Then  changing 
m}'  thought,  "And  yet,  perhaps,"  added  I,  "this 
natural  son  ma}'  be  by  some  other  lady,  whom 
Cleviilente  had  seduced  like  Francisca." 

To  gain  from  Don  Gregorio's  conversation  some 
satisfaction  of  my  doubts,  I  said  to  him  :  ''You  must, 
indeed,  have  been  sensible  to  the  loss  of  so  moving  a 
beauty:  but  how  did  j-ou  lose  her.''  Did  she  quit 
}Ou  tiirough  inconstancy,  or  did  you  give  her  cause 
to  complain  of  you.?" — "Alas!"  replied  he  mourn- 
fully, "  I  am  the  cause  of  our  separation.  It  is  my 
own  fault,  and  that  is  what  renders  me  inconsolable. 
If  Donna  Francisca  had  abandoned  me  out  of  levity, 
I  should  long  ago  have  forgotten  her;  instead  of 
which,  sensible  of  my  ill  conduct  to  her,  I  cannot 
dismiss  her  from  my  memory.  I  confess,"  pursued 
he,  ■'  that  I  can  impute  her  fault  only  to  my  own 
perjuries.  When  I  carried  her  off  from  the  convent 
in  which  she  was  a  boarder,  I  promised,  I  swore 
that  I  would  marry  her;  and  she  \'ielded  less  to  the 
violence' of  my  love  than  to  this  oath.  Far,  however, 
from  keeping  my  word  with  her,  I  deceived,  and  finally 
wearied  out  her  patience.    After  a  year's  residence  she 


1 86  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

escaped  from  this  castle,  unrestrained  by  a  new-born 
infant  whom  she  left,  that  the  sight  of  him  might 
incessantly  reproach  me  with  my  perfidy  and  treason. 

"I  had  Francisca  sought  for  in  every  direction  as 
soon  as  I  knew  of  her  flight,  but  the  persons  who 
were  entrusted  with  this  charge  acquitted  themselves 
so  ill  that  they  obtained  no  intelligence  of  her.  Since 
that  time  I  have  never  been  at  peace.  Francisca  is 
ever  in  my  mind,  and  her  avenging  image  pursues 
me  night  and  da\'.  I  think  I  see  her;  I  think  I  hear 
her,  deploring  her  credulity,  burst  out  into  bitter 
invectives  against  me." — "  Perhaps,"  said  I  to  Cle- 
villente,  "you  do  not  paint  her  to  yourself  as  she 
really  is;  perhaps,  accusing  herself  only  of  her  mis- 
fortune, the  recollection  of  her  tenderness  to  you 
excites  her  tears.  Perhaps,  in  short,  you  still  reign 
in  her  heart  in  spite  of  your  ingratitude." 

"Ah!  if  I  believed  it,"  exclaimed  he,  "and  knew 
where  she  was,  I  would  go  and  lament  at  her  feet  the 
unworthy  treatment  she  has  received  from  me.  Yes, 
I  would  seek  her  out,  though  she  were  at  the  end  of 
the  world." — "It  would  not  be  requisite,"  said  I,  "to 
go  so  far  in  search  of  her,  if  you  were  in  reality  di.s- 
posed  to  expiate  b\'  marriage  the  mortal  blow  you 
have  given  her  honour,  and  the  affront  you  have 
offered  to  her  family." — "What  do  I  hear.-*"  cried 
Don  Gregorio,  astonished,  "  Is  it  possible,  Don 
Cherubin,  that  you  are  acquainted  with  the  lady 
whom  this  portrait  represents  }  " — "  Doubt  it  not," 
replied  I  ;   "neither  is  she  unknown  to  Don  Manoel." 

At  these  words  Pedrilla  considered  the  portrait 
with  more  attention,  and  distinguishing  the  features 
of  my  sister,  "  What  is  it  I  see } "  cried  he  with 
emotion:  "  I  dare  not  disclose  my  thoughts  ;  I  would 
rather  think  that  my  eyes  deceive  me." — "  No,  no," 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  187 

replied  I,  "  their  report  is  faithful  ;  Donna  Francisca, 
who  is  known  to  you  under  the  name  of  Basilisa,  is 
the  original  of  that  picture.  Clevillente  seduced  my 
s'ster  ;  she  herself  avowed  it  to  me.  He  carried  her 
off  from  a  convent  in  Cartliagcna  where  she  was  a 
boarder,  and  brought  her  to  this  castle.  It  is  a  rape 
which  honour  would  im()el  me  to  revenge  ;  but  since 
Donna  Francisca  is  a  widow,  there  is  a  milder  way 
by  which  the  matter  may  be  accommodated." 

"After  the  sentiments  which  Don  Gregorio  has  just 
manifested,"  said  Don  Manoel,  "  I  am  persuaded  that 
his  dearest  wish  is  to  marry  Donna  Francisca." — "  I 
have  no  other  intention,"  cried  Clevillente  ;  "  and  the 
remorse  to  which  I  have  been  a  prey  during  ten 
}'ears  ought  to  convince  you  of  it.  Let  me  only 
know  what  part  of  Spain  this  lady  inhabits,  and 
thther  I  fly  instantly." — "I  propose  to  conduct  you 
there  myself,"  said  I,  "to  be  witness  of  the  joy  you 
will  both  experience  at  your  meeting.  I  believe  that 
Don  Manoel  will  not  refuse  to  accompany  us." — "  No, 
doubtless,"  replied  Pedrilla  ;  "  I  have  my  reasons  also 
for  making  this  journey,  independent  of  the  com- 
plaisance which  you  have  a  right  to  expect  from  my 
friendship." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

OF    THE    yOURNEY   WHICH    THE    THREE   CAVALIERS   MADE 

TO     THE    CASTLE    OF    VILLARDESAZ THEY    DISGUISE 

THEMSELVES  AS  PILGRIMS  TO  GET  IX TO  THE  CASTLE 
IN  WHAT  MANNER  THEY  WERE  RECEIVED SINGU- 
LAR CONVERSATION  WITH  A  DOMESTIC  OF  DONNA 
FRANCISCa's SURPRISE  OF  THE  LATTER. 

We  accordingly  all  three  took  the  resolution  of  goin^ 
to  the  Castle  of  Villardesaz,  where  I  conceived  that 


i88  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

my  sister  must  be.  We  made  preparations  for  our 
depnrture,  and,  followed  by  three  valets,  mounted 
like  ourselves  upon  three  mules,  we  took  the  road  for 
Cuenga,  where  we  arrived  in  less  than  six  days. 

When  we  had  reached  this  town,  we  deemed  it 
prudent  to  stop  there,  and  inform  ourselves  on  those 
subjects  which  we  were  desirous  of  knowinfy,  that  is 
to  say,  what  was  goin^^  on  in  the  Castle  of  Villardesaz, 
which  is  but  three-quarters  of  a  league  distant.  We 
learned  that  Signior  Don  Pedro  Retortillo  had  really 
been  killed  by  falling  from  his  horse  in  a  hunting 
party,  and  that  his  widow,  still  afflicted  with  his  loss, 
was  leading  a  melancholy  life  at  the  castle,  with  no 
other  consolation  than  the  company  of  a  lady,  one  of 
her  friends.  When  Don  Manoel  heard  of  this  friend,  he 
was  filled  with  joy,  entertaining  no  doubt  that  it  was 
Ismenia,  whom  he  was  no  less  delighted  to  see  again, 
than  Don  Gregorio  to  recover  his  lost  Francisca. 

As  we  were  all  three  consulting  about  the  manner 
in  which  we  should  go  and  present  ourselves  to  these 
two  ladies,  a  wild  idea  came  into  my  head  which 
my  companions  approved,  and  which  we  resolved  to 
pursue.  We  got  made  three  pilgrims'  habits,  in 
which,  after  having  left  our  valets  at  Cuenca,  we  went 
about  the  commencement  of  the  night  towards  the 
Castle  of  Villardesaz.  We  knocked  at  the  door,  and 
told  a  servant  who  came  to  open  it,  that  three  Ara- 
gonese  pilgrims,  who  were  going  to  Santiago,  in 
Gallicia,  begged  permission  to  pass  the  night  in 
the  stables  of  the  castle.  The  servant  went  in  to 
announce  us,  and  then  came  and  told  us  a  moment 
after,  that  his  mistress  consented  to  it ;  and  there- 
upon, having  taken  us  into  the  castle,  and  conducted 
us  into  the  middle  of  a  large  hall,  where  there  was 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  189 

some  fresh  straw  and  a  lamp  fastened  to  the  wall  in 
a  corner,  "Friends,"  said  he,  "when  pilgrims  come 
this  wa\',  which  often  happens,  it  is  in  this  hall  we 
put  them  to  sleep.  You  will  not  be  badly  off;  and 
as  I  believe  you  do  not  want  appetite,  I  am  going  to 
bring  you  something  to  satisfy  it.  You  will  see  that 
in  this  castle  we  do  not  perform  things  by  halves." 

Saying  this  he  retired,  leaving  us  the  liberty  which 
we  wanted  to  \'ield  to  our  desire  of  laughing  at  the 
hospitality  which  was  shown  us.  It  was,  in  effect, 
pleasant  enough  to  see  pilgrims  like  us  treated  in 
this  way,  and  the  idea  amused  us  infinitely.  We 
waited  the  return  of  the  same  servant ;  and  were  not 
a  little  curious  to  know  in  what  consisted  the  supper 
to  which  he  had  welcomed  us,  when  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  after  he  returned  into  the  hall  with  a  large 
basket,  in  which  were  bread,  cheese,  and  onions.  He 
was  followed  by  another  servant,  who  brought  a  large 
cruise  of  La  Manchn  wine  ;  and  approaching  us  gail\-, 
"  Here,"  said  he,  "  are  refreshments  which  I  bring 
you  to  renew  )our  strength  ;  line  your  stomachs  well 
with  them,  for  that  is  what  supports  tne  feet." 

This  lad  appearing  to  us  a  sprightly  fellow,  who 
wished  for  nothing  better  than  to  talk,  we  all  three 
put  him  questions  by  turns,  to  which  he  answered 
like  a  discreet  and  affectionate  servant.  We  gave 
him  an  opportunity  of  relating  to  us  the  misfortune 
of  Don  Pedro  ;  which  he  did  without  omitting  the 
most  indifferent  circumstance.  "And  your  lady," 
said  I,  "was  she  much  grieved  at  his  death.''" — "She 
is  still  so,"  replied  he:  "I  could  never  have  thought 
that  a  woman  would  mourn  for  her  husband  so  long." 
— "  Don  Pedro,  your  master,"  said  Don  Gregorio,  "was, 
it  seems,  a  verv  amiable  cavalier?" — "Not  too  much 


tgo  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

of  that,"  replied  the  servant:  "he  was  a  mortal  of  a 
disposition  bad  enough,  jealous,  a  grumbler,  and  full 
of  fantasies.  However,  in  spite  of  all  that,  he  had 
an  inexpressible  something  about  him  which  rendered 
him  agreeable  to  my  lady."  —  "Is  there  no  person 
who  seeks  to  console  this  beautiful  widow,  eh.''" 
asked  Don  Manoel.  "I  beg  your  pardon,"  replied 
the  servant :  "  besides  that  Signora  Ismenia,  her  friend, 
incessantly  combats  her  grief,  there  comes  here  almost 
every  day  a  young  gentleman  of  Cuenga,  who  appears 
to  me  well  calculated  to  assuage  the  tediousness  of 
widowhood. 

"This  cavalier,"  continued  he,  "is  called  Don 
Simon  de  Romeral.  I  have  no  doubt  that  he  is 
inclined  to  succeed  Don  Pedro,  and  the  thing  is 
not  impossible.  For  some  days  past  my  lady  has 
appeared  to  me  less  afflicted  than  common,  whether 
because  the  conversation  of  Ismenia  has  taken  an 
effect  on  her,  or  that  of  Don  Simon  began  to  be 
pleasing." 

The  report  of  this  servant  induced  me  to  fear  that 
we  had  come  too  late,  and  that  Don  Simon  had 
already  rendered  himself  master  of  Francisca's  heart. 
"  If  that  be  the  case,"  thought  I  to  myself,  "my 
sister  will  not  owe  me  much  goodwill  for  the  care 
I  am  taking  of  her  honour:  she  will  not  be  pleased 
with  the  sight  of  an  old  lover,  if  she  be  actually 
prepossessed  in  favour  of  another."  Don  Gregorio 
made  much  the  same  reflection,  and  we  began  both 
of  us  to  doubt  whether  our  pilgrimage  would  prove 
succes.sful. 

By  dint  of  questioning  the  servant,  who  was  no  fool, 
we  rendered  ourselves  suspected  by  him.  "Gentle- 
men," said  he,  shaking  his  head,  "you  appear  to  me 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  191 

to  be  very  fine  pilgrims.  You  are  not  picaros*  as 
are  the  greater  part  of  those  who  wear  the  habit, 
but  have  all  the  air  of  persons  of  importance.  You 
are  disguised  in  this  manner  for  the  purpose  of 
acting  some  play,  and  perhaps  you  have  also  chosen 
this  castle  for  the  scene  of  action.  If  you  want," 
added  he,  "a  fourth  actor  for  \  our  piece,  I  offer  you 
my  talents." 

We  took  him  at  his  word,  and  perceiving  that  he 
was  a  man  who  might  be  useful  to  us,  we  discovered 
ourselves  to  him  ;  and,  the  better  to  engage  him  in 
our  interest,  gave  him  thirt}-  pistoles.  He  saw  by  that 
that  he  had  not  judged  wrong  of  us;  and  charmed 
by  our  behaviour  to  him,  "  Gentlemen,"  said  he, 
"dispose  of  your  servant  Clarin  ;  you  have  but  to 
command  him.  What  is  your  design  }  What  can 
I  do  for  you  .'* " — "We  are  acquainted,"  said  I,  "  with 
the  mistress  of  this  castle  and  her  friend  :  it  is  long 
since  we  have  seen  them,  and  we  wish  to  appear 
before  them  thus  disguised,  to  try  if  the\'  will  recog- 
nise us.  Go,"  continued  I,  "go  and  tell  Donna  Fran- 
cisca  privately,  that  if  she  be  desirous  of  hearing  news 
of  her  brother  Don  Cherubin  de  la  Ronda,  a  pilgrim 
is  here  who  can  satisfy  her  curiosity." — "  If  you  exact 
nothing  more  of  me  than  that,"  replied  Clarin,  "it  is 
but  a  trifle  :  I  shall  soon  have  acquitted  myself  of 
that  commission." 

In  effect,  after  having  left  us  for  a  few  minutes,  he 
returned  and  said :  "  Come  along  with  me ;  my  mistress 
would  speak  with  you."  At  the  same  time  he  con- 
ducted me  to  a  very  handsome  apartment,  where  my 
sister  was  with  Ismenia.  They  both  immediately 
recollected  me.  "  Brother,"  cried  my  sister,  "  what  an 
*  Rogues. 


192  rilE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

agreeable  surprise  to  me,  to  see  you  again.  But  why 
offer  yourself  to  my  view  in  this  dress  ? " — "  Sister," 
said  I,  "you  will  cease  to  be  surprised  that  I  appear 
before  you  in  this  form,  when  you  know  the  cause  of 
my  pilgrimage.  But  allow  me  first  to  express  the 
sorrow  I  feel  for  the  death  of  Signior  Don  Pedro. 
As  I  know  }'ou  are  most  sensible  to  the  death  of  your 
husband,  I  come  here  to  participate  in  your  affliction." 

The  widow  on  this  found  her  grief  renewed,  and 
her  eyes  were  filled  with  tears.  I  thought  she  was 
going  to  break  out  in  fresh  lamentations,  and  awaited 
the  coming  broadside  ;  but  happily  Ismenia  turned 
aside  the  storm.  "  M)^  darling,"  said  she,  "you  have 
wept  enough;  it  is  time  to  console  yourself:  your 
brother  comes  here  with  the  intention  of  contributing 
to  enable  you  to  do  so." — "  Oh  \es,"  replied  I,  "such 
is  my  intention  ;  and  I  dare  venture  to  predict  that 
the  face  of  things  will  soon  be  changed  in  this  castle: 
I  am  accompanied  by  two  good  pilgrims  who  are 
resolved  to  make  joy  succeed  to  sadness." — "And 
who  are  these  pilgrims.^"  asked  Donna  Francisca: 
"I  will  not  see,  unless  I  know  them." — "Allow  me," 
said  I,  "not  to  name  them,  that  I  may  leave  you  the 
pIeaj,'.Li'e  of  the  surprise.  Give  orders  that  they  may 
be  brought  here."  Ismenia  having  then  called  Clarin, 
bade  him  go  and  fetch  the  other  two  pilgrims,  who 
were  not  a  little  impatient  to  show  themselves  on  the 
stage. 

The  moment  they  appeared,  Ismenia  knew  Don 
Manoel ;  but  my  sister  did  not  so  readily  recognise 
Don  Gregorio,  who  no  sooner  saw  her  than  he  ran 
and  threw  himself  at  her  feet.  "  Madam,"  said  he, 
"permit  a  guilty  creature,  brought  hither  by  remorse, 
I  J  soligit  pardon."     ponn^  Francisca,  less  struck  with 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  193 

these  words  than  at  the  voice  of  Clevillente,  recol- 
lected him,  and  immediately  faulted.  I  had  expected 
that  the  sight  of  Francillo's  father  would  affect  her; 
but  I  was  not  prepared  to  see  it  make  so  lively  an 
impression  on  her. 

Ismenia  and  I  gave  her  prompt  assistance  ;  and 
when  she  recovered  the  use  of  her  senses,  she  remained 
for  some  moments  silent.  Then  addressing  me, 
"Brother,"  said  she,  "you  see  the  effect  of  your 
imprudence.  Ought  you  not  to  have  given  me  notice 
before  you  brought  Don  Gregorio  into  my  presence.^ 
You  are  not  unacquainted  with  the  reasons  I  have  for 
avoiding  him." — "I  was  wrong,  my  sister,"  I  replied; 
"  I  confess  that  I  ought  to  have  prepared  you,  by  a 
private  conversation,  for  again  beholding  a  lover  on 
whom  you  have  a  right  to  bestow  the  most  severe 
reproaches,  and  who  is,  notwithstanding,  not  unworthy 
of  pardon.  He  has  seen  his  fault,  and  has  for  ten 
years  deplored  it.  Permit  him  to  explain  to  \'ou 
what  he  has  suffered.  Deign  to  hear  him  ;  I  answer 
lor  his  sincerity." 

"  Yes,  Madam,"  cried  Clevillente,  "  give  rne,  I 
entreat  you,  a  moment's  audience ;  grant  it  to  the 
prayers  of  my  friend  Don  Cherubin.  However  pre- 
possessed against  me  you  may  be,  what  I  am  about 
to  say  will  disarm  your  resentment."- — "Ah!  what 
can  you  say  in  your  justification  .? "  said  the  widow  of 
Don  Pedro.  "Would  to  God  that  you  were  not  one 
of  the  most  perfidious  and  ungrateful  of  men  !" — "  I 
acknowledge  my  perfidy,"  replied  Don  Giegorio; 
"  but  what  have  I  not  done  to  expiate  it."  He  then 
entered  upon  a  detail  of  his  sufferings,  which  Ismenia 
and  I  allowed  him  to  continue  to  her  private  ear^  and 
which   did  not  fail   to  produce  its  effect,  that  is,  to 

N 


194  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

soften  Francisca  ;  from  which  it  is  reasonable  to 
conclude,  that  if  the  passions  first  felt  be  not  all 
proof  against  the  effects  of  time,  the}'  are  at  least 
badly  extinguished  fires,  which  may  be  easily  re- 
kindled. 

While  these  two  lovers  were  entertaining  each  other 
in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  I  observed  them,  and  it  appeared 
to  me  that  the  anger  of  m\'  sister  declined.  I  believe 
that  my  nephew  Francillo  was  not  forgotten  in  their 
conversation,  and  that  that  did  not  impede  their  re- 
conciliation. During  this  time  Don  Manoel  and  I 
informed  Ismenia  in  what  man-ner  we  had  become 
acquainted  with  Don  Gregorio,  and  all  that  had 
passed  between  us  and  that  cavalier  at  the  Castle  of 
Clevillente. 

"You  delight  me,"  said  Ismenia,  "in  announcing  to 
me  the  return  of  a  perjured  man,  whom  my  friend 
could  never  entirely  banish  from  her  memor\'  ;  but, 
by  my  faith,  you  could  not  have  brought  him  here  at 
a  more  critical  moment :  it  was  full  time.  A  month 
later  you  would  have  found  Francisca  married.  She 
began  to  entertain  a  liking  for  Don  Simon  de  Romeral, 
and  I  was  about  to  advise  her  to  espouse  him." — 
"Heaven  be  thanked,"  replied  I,  "we  have  then 
arrived  fortunately  indeed,  provided  my  sister  will 
not  be  inclined  to  prefer  a  new-comer  to  an  ancient 
friend." — "Fie!"  replied  Ismenia,  "do  more  justice 
to  Donna  Francisca.  Even  though  her  inclination 
should  lead  her  towards  Don  Simon,  she  would  with- 
out hesitation  decide  in  favour  of  Clevillente :  the 
suitor  offered  by  love  would  yield  to  him  presented 
by  honour." 

Notwithstanding  all  Ismenia  could  say  to  set  my 
mind  at  rest  on  this  subject,  I  did  not  cease  fearing 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  19 

that  my  sister  might  be  of  a  different  opinion.  My 
fear,  ho.\  ever,  was  vain.  Don  Gregorio  was  a  gallant 
of  the  first  class;  he  possessed  the  happy  talent  of 
persuading  ladies.  Donna  Francisca  felt  a  renewal 
of  all  the  tenderness  which  she  formerly  had  for  him; 
and  as  on  her  part  she  was  no  less  clever  than  this 
cavalier  in  the  art  of  pleasing,  she  rendered  him  more 
amorous  than  ever  he  had  been  before.  Nor  did 
Don  Manoel  again  find  himself  in  Ismenia's  company, 
without  resuming  the  sentiments  he  entertained  for 
her  in  Madrid  ;  and  this  lady  gave  him  sufficiently  to 
understand  by  the  obliging  manner  in  which  she  re- 
ceived him,  that  his  happiness  depended  only  on 
himself,  if  he  were  disposed  to  have  the  pleasure  of 
becoming  her  husband. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

OUR     THREE     TRAVELLERS     SUP     WITH   DONNA    FRANCISCA 

AND    DONNA     ISMENIA  DON   CHERUB  IN    CONVERSES 

PRIVATELY    WITH    HIS    SISTER  — SHE    MARRIES    HER 

FIRST   LOVER,  DON   GREGORIO DONNA   ISMENIA  ALSO 

MARRIES  DON  MANOEL  DE  PEDRILLA — DON  CHERUBIS 
AND  DON  MANOEL  RETIRE  TO  THE  CASTLE  OF  CLEVIL- 
LENTE,  AND  SET  OUT  WITH  THEIR  WIVES  FOR  ALCARA2 
AGREEMENT  WHICH  THEY  MADE. 

These  two  pilgrims,  who  felt  no  weariness  in  the 
company  of  their  mistresses,  were  interrupted  by  the 
entrance  of  a  servant,  who  came  to  apprise  us  that 
supper  was  ready.  Hereupon  the  widow  of  Don 
Pedro  led  us  into  a  saloon,  where  there  was  a  table 
covered  with  all  kinds  of  well-cooked  viands.  At  the 
sight  of  a  repast  at  which  reigned   abundance  and 


196  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

neatness,  I  recollected  the  cheese  and  onions  which 
Clarin  had  brought  us  in  the  stable.  "  Brother-in- 
law,"  said  I  to  Pedrilla,  "here  are  some  eatables  rather 
better  than  those  which  were  offered  us  awhile  since. 
What  do  you  think  ?  " 

This  reflection  excited  a  general  burst  of  laughter, 
and  put  us  in  the  train  for  enjoying  ourselves.  "Gentle- 
men," said  Ismenia,  "in  your  disguise  we  took  you  for 
three  adventurers,  and  we  here  regulate  our  hospitality 
by  the  mien  of  our  guests;  but  such  pilgrims  as  \'ou 
deserve  that  we  should  receive  them  like  honest  folks  ; 
for  which  reason  ni)'  friend  and  I  are  very  well  dis- 
posed to  afford  you  good  treatment.  I  need  not 
protest  it  to  \'ou,"  added  she,  looking  with  a  smile  at 
my  two  companions;  "you  must  already  have  per- 
ceived it."  In  short,  our  pilgrimage  afforded  matter 
of  amusement  during  supper,  and  furnished  us  with  a 
thousand  pleasantries  which  entertained  us  till  mid- 
night. Then  a  number  of  domestics,  with  liglits, 
appeared  to  conduct  us  to  the  apartments  which  had 
been  prepared  for  us;  thus  the  three  pilgrims,  instead 
of  retracing  their  way  to  the  stables,  to  sleep  upon 
straw,  went  to  rest,  like  inquisitors,  upon  beds  of 
down. 

On  the  following  morning,  early,  my  sister  sent  to 
say  that  she  wished  to  have  a  private  conversation 
with  me.  I  went  accordingly  to  her  apartment,  where 
having  made  me  seat  m}-self  at  the  head  of  her 
bed  :  "  Brother,"  said  she,  "  I  am  satisfied  with  Don 
Gregorio :  he  repents  of  having  offended  me.  For 
these  ten  years  past,  he  assures  me  that  the  stings  of 
his  conscience  have  pursued  him  like  furies.  He 
sought  me  everywhere,  to  expiate  his  ill  conduct  by 
marriage      He  has  found  me  again ;  he  offers  me  his 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  197 

hand  ;  and,  more  taken  with  me  than  ever,  swears  to 
me  an  eternal  constancy.  He  lias  rekindled  in  my 
heart  all  the  fire  to  which  he  gave  birth  at  Carthagena, 
and  I  accept  his  offer  with  transport." 
I  applauded  this  discourse  of  my  sister's, 
"You  do  well,"  said  I :  "  Clevillente  is  the  first  who 
vanquished  you,  and  the  pledge  of  your  love  ought  to 
make  you  view  him  as  a  husband  who  rejoins  \'ou 
after  a  long  separation."  Francisca  blushed  at  these 
words,  and  said  :  "  I  believe,  my  dear  brother,  that  \ou 
will  pardon  me  for  having  made  a  mystery  of  that 
pledge  which  you  mention:  when  a  fond  girl  relates 
her  history,  it  ought  not  to  be  taken  amiss  that  she 
suppresses  some  circumstance  of  it." — "  Ay  !  truly, 
my  dear  sister,"  replied  I ;  "I  willingly  pardon  }-ou  ; 
but  let  me  also  be  permitted  to  speak  to  \'Ou  of 
Francillo.  There  never  was  a  more  lovely  child. 
When  you  shall  have  seen,  you  will  pity  him  for 
having  been  deprived  of  your  caresses  in  his  earliest 
infancy,  and  you  will  acknowledge  he  well  deserves 
that  his  father  and  mother  should  recognise  him  as 
their  legitimate  heir."  In  fact,  I  pleaded  so  well 
the  cause  of  my  nephew,  that  Donna  Francisca 
was  soitened  even  to  tears  in  reflecting  on  his  lot- 
"  Francillo,"  said  I,  "is  no  longer  to  be  pitied,  since 
Heaven  has  brought  his  parents  together,  and  that 
marriage  is  about  to  unite  them  both  :  they  will  fix 
his  state,  and  by  that  means  give  a  new  member  ^o 
the  nobility  of  Valencia." 

After  having  talked  a  long  while  of  Francillo,  we 
spoke  of  the  death  of  my  brother,  Don  Caesar,  and  of 
the  rich  inheritance  wi.ich  he  had  left  me.  ]\Iy  sister 
(I  owe  her  this  justice),  instead  of  evincing  an  avari- 
cious regret  at  not  having  come  in  for  a  part  of  it, 


igS  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

was  generous  enough  to  congratulate  me  on  it  With 
sincerity.  It  is  true  that,  being  even  yet  better  off 
than  nu'self  in  her  circumstances,  and  on  the  point  of 
marrying  an  opulent  gentleman,  she  had  a  right  to 
be  content  with  her  fortune.  Our  interview  concluded 
with  questions  which  she  asked  me  about  my  mar- 
riage, and  she  had  every  reason  to  judge  by  my 
answers  that  I  did  not  repent  of  the  step  I  had  taken. 

After  this  conversation,  I  had  another  with  Don 
Gregorio,  who,  finding  his  love  every  moment  in- 
creasing, appeared  all  impatience  to  possess  Francisca. 
While  I  was  with  this  cavalier,  Don  Manoel  arrived. 
"  I  have,"  said  he,  "just  left  Ismenia.  I  am  enchanted 
with  her,  and  dying  with  desire  to  join  my  fate  to 
hers." — "Wel'l,  gentlemen,"  said  I,  "since  you  are  so 
amorous,  \\e  must  hasten  your  happiness.  That  is  a 
care  whicli  I  take  upon  myself.  I  am  going  to  seek 
}-our  ladies,  and  point  out  to  them  the  fmpatience 
you  feel  to  become  united  to  them.  I  do  not  think 
they  will  have  the  cruelty  to  make  you  languish  long." 
In  effect,  as  soon  as  they  perceived  that  their  lovers 
submitted  with  so  good  a  grace  to  the  yoke  of  wed- 
lock, they  complied  without  hesitation  with  their 
wishes. 

When  I  saw  that  the  four  parties  interested  were 
agreed,  we  held  a  council  as  to  what  was  proper  to 
be  done,  and  it  was  resolved  that  this  double  wedding 
should  be  celebrated  at  the  Castle  of  Cleviilente,  for 
more  reasons  than  one.  This  being  settled,  we  sent 
for  our  servants  from  Cuen^a,  with  our  equipage,  and 
prepared  to  set  out ;  which  we  were  soon  ready  to 
do.  We  quitted  »ur  pilgrim's  disguise,  to  resume 
our  cavalier's  dress  ;  and  m\-  sister,  having  left  to  her, 
farmer  the  care  of  the  Castle  of  Viilardesaz,  took  with 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  199 

us  and  the  whole  of  her  domestics  the  road  to  AH- 
cant,  where  we  arrived  at  the  end  of  eight  days,  not 
having  chosen  to  use  more  despatch,  lest  we  should 
fatigue  our  ladies.  We  did  not  stop  in  this  town,  and 
speedily  gained  the  Castle  of  Clevillente,  where  the 
widow  of  Don  Pedro,  recalling  the  recollection  of  the 
griefs,  or  perhaps  the  pleasures,  she  had  experienced, 
could  not  restrain  her  tears,  which  were  redoubled  at 
the  sight  of.  Francillo.  But  this  amiable  child  himself 
dried  up  the  tears  he  caused,  and  inspired  his  mother 
with  so  much  tenderness  for  him,  that  he  became  her 
idol.  Besides  that  she  beheld  in  him  her  living 
image,  he  was  her  only  child,  she  never  having  had 
pne  by  either  of  her  husbands. 

Nothing  was  going  forward  in  the  castle  but  pre- 
parations for  the  nuptials  of  my  two  brothers.  Whilst 
these  were  proceeding,  I  went  to  Alcaraz  to  fetch  my 
wife,  Donna  Paula,  without  whom  the  feast  would  not 
have  been  complete.  It  was  but  a  journey  of  six 
days,  at  the  end  of  which  the  Castle  of  Clevillente 
beheld  my  return  with  my  wife,  w^hose  happy  arrival 
augmented  the  joy  which  reigned  there.  Ismenia  and 
Donna  Francisca  caressed  her  in  emulation  of  each 
other,  and  found  in  her  a  person  disposed  to  live 
happily  with  her  sisters-in-law. 

Don  Manoel  and  Don  Gregorio  exerted  themselves 
so  much  to  hasten  the  day  which  was  to  crown  their 
happiness,  that  it  shortly  arrived.  They  received 
the  nuptial  benediction  from  the  hand  of  the  Bishop 
of  Origuela,  a  relation  of  Clevillente  ;  his  excellency, 
who  was  a  Dominican,  having  been  kind  enough  to 
come  to  the  castle  for  this  purpose. 

Such  was  the  manner  in  which  Ismenia  and  my 
sister  were  married.     After  having  given  themselves 


200  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

abundance  of  time,  they  married  two  gentlemen,  who, 
through  an  excess  of  regard  for  them,  raised  them 
into  hidies  of  importance.  What  an  admirable  thing 
is  love  !  It  draws  the  curtain  over  the  past  life  of  a 
coquette  when  it  chooses  to  marry  her  to  an  honest 
man. 

These  two  marriages  were  followed  by  rejoicings 
which  lasted  three  weeks.  After  this,  Don  Manoel 
and  I  begged  of  Don  Gregorio  and  his  lady  that 
they  would  permit  us  to  retire  to  Alcaraz  ;  but  we 
had  abundance  of  trouble  to  induce  them  to  consent 
to  it.  My  sister  had  so  long  lived  in  a  close  union 
with  Ismenia,  that  she  could  not  make  up  her  mind 
to  this  separation.  They,  however,  ceased  to  oppose 
our  departure,  on  condition  that  in  order  to  be 
together  half  the  }ear,  Don  Manoel  and  I  should 
go  with  our  wives  for  three  months  to  the  Castle  of 
Clevillente,  and  that  Don  Gregorio  and  my  sister 
should  come  and  pass  three  months  of  the  winter  at 
Alcaraz.  They  lot  us  quit  them  at  last,  on  the  pro- 
mise we  made  of  faithfully  observing  this  convention. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

SINGULAR  FARCE  AT  WHICH  DON  CHERUBIN  WAS  PRESENT 

SERIOUS    REFLECTION   ON    HIS    FORTUNE,    AND    ON 

THAT    OF    HIS    SISTER DON    MANOEL    AND    HE    ARE 

ROBBED    BY   ONE    OF    THEIR    SERVANTS THEY     TAKE 

ANOTHER — WHO    HE   WAS SURPRISE  OF  DON  CHERU- 
BIN AND  HIS  FRIEND   WHEN  THEY  RECOGNISE  HIM. 

After  having  testified  by  mutual  caresses  how 
much  we  were  affected  by  our  separation,  Don 
Manoel  and  I  set  out  with  our  charming  spouses. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  201 

leaving  Don  Grcgorio  and  my  sister  very  melancholy 
at  our  departure  from  the  castle.  As  for  us,  the 
possession  of  what  we  held  dearest  in  the  world 
consoled  us,  and  we  derived  infinite  pleasure  from 
our  little  journey. 

As  we  were  obliged  to  sleep  on  the  road,  we 
stopped  at  a  small  town,  where  we  had  the  diversion 
of  a  theatrical  piece  played  by  a  company  of  strol- 
lers ;  they  had  designated  it  Ines  de  Castro.  Relying 
on  the  reputation  this  piece  had  acquired  in  Madrid, 
we  procured  our  ladies  the  pleasure  of  seeing  it ;  but 
we  were  completely  in  despair  when  we  saw  appear 
in  the  room  of  the  inn  in  which  this  play  was  per- 
formed, a  woman  in  a  state  peculiarly  unfavourable 
to  elegance  of  shape,  who  uttered  a  parcel  of  non- 
sense of  which  nothing  was  heard.  Then  came  an 
actor  about  sixty  years  of  age  :  he  represented  Don 
Pedro.  In  fact,  this  piece,  which  could  be  called 
neither  tragic  nor  comic,  lasted,  but  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  audience.  They 
afterwards  gave  us  an  entertainment,  consisting  of 
dancing,  leaping,  and  tumbling  ;  and  to  close  the 
spectacle,  he  who  had  played  Don  Pedro  began 
fencing  with  his  right  foot,  standing  on  his  head ; 
and,  as  he  acquitted  himself  well,  he  was  much 
applauded.  But  the  most  comic  part  of  the  adven- 
ture was,  that  the  Lady  Ines,  who  while  playing 
had  made  a  number  of  wry  faces,  presented  an 
addition  to  the  company  before  the  audience  had 
retired.    The  actors  beo-ored  us  to  excuse  them  for  not 

DO 

giving  us  a  Chinese  ballet,  which  had  made  great  noise 
in  Madrid,  but  which  the  unexpected  incident  that 
had  taken  place  prevented  them  from  representing. 
We  had  a  great  deal  of  amusement  at  supper  in  con- 


ioi  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

sequence  of  this  business.  On  the  morrow  we  arrived 
safely  at  Alcaraz.  Our  wives  were  in  want  of  rest, 
and  on  our  parts  we  wanted  it  also. 

We  enjoyed  the  most  perfect  felicity:  though  we 
had  been  married  three  months,  we  loved  our  wives 
more  than  ever.  Too  happy,  had  our  felicity  in  my 
own  case  lasted  for  life.  But  it  was  written  in  the 
table  of  destiny  that  there  should  happen  to  me 
misfortunes  greater  than  those  I  had  }-et  experienced. 
The  adventures  of  my  sister  occurred  incessantly  to 
my  mind,  and  I  admired  the  providence  which  had 
never  abandoned  us.  "  For  a  woman  who  has  been  so 
great  a  coquette  to  enjoy  such  brilliant  fortune,"  said 
I,  "is  indeed  extraordinary.  How  many  persons 
who  have  more  merit  and  more  virtue  than  my  sister, 
do  we  see  in  ignominy  and  misery.  What  a  world 
is  this!  An  immoral  girl,  an  actress,  become  the 
wife  of  an  honourable  gentleman!  This  is  not  often 
seen.  The  honour  of  my  sister  is  repaired  by  this; 
she  is  rich,  and  her  husband  not  particularly  so :  thus 
one  balances  the  other.  May  fortune  allow  us  long 
to  enjoy  her  bounties!  I  will  not  again  take  it  into 
my  head  to  put  on  the  frock,  and  give  my  property 
to  monks  :  those  with  whom  I  had  to  do  were  too 
grateful  for  the  v.-ealth  I  left  among  them  against 
my  will.  (Perhaps  I  was  wrong  in  talking  thus,  for 
I  might  have  derived  my  preseut  fortune  from  the 
efficacy  of  their  pra\-ers.)  Don  Alanoel  puts  the 
finishing  stroke  to  my  happiness  by  giving  me  the 
half  of  his  castle ;  the  most  distinguished  persons  in 
Alcaraz  honour  us  with  their  visits;  and  walking, 
hunting,  fishing,' playing,  reading,  are  our  occupations 
and  amusements." 

Our  pleasures  were  troubled  by  an  accident  which 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  20 j 

happened  to  us.  The  castle  one  night  took  fire, 
and  nearly  the  half  of  our  effects  were  consumed. 
Happily  we  had  time  to  remove  the  most  valuable; 
and  some  repairs  put  things  in  their  former  state. 
We  should  easily  have  consoled  ourselves  for  this 
loss,  if  we  had  not  been  robbed  of  money  and  of  our 
wives'  jewels,  which  together  amounted  to  a  consider- 
able sum.  We  did  not  suspect  any  of  our  domestics, 
and  yet  it  was  notwithstanding  one  of  them,  who 
was  discovered  by  a  shopkeeper  to  whom  the  rogue 
had  applied  to  sell  a  part  of  what  he  had  taken. 
Don  Miinoel  wouM  have  delivered  him  over  to  the 
hands  of  justice;  but  out  of  consideration  for  me,  he 
contented  himself  with  dismissing  him,  ordering  him, 
on  pain  of  being  prosecuted,  to  leave  the  kingdom 
within  two  da\'S.  We  liberally  recompensed  our 
honest  dealer:  he  was  of  a  kind  not  often  met  with. 

Some  days  after,  there  offered  himself  to  our  ser^ 
vice  a  youth,  whose  physiognomy  and  figure  spoke 
in  his  favour.  He  came  to  us  with  a  recommenda- 
tion from  one  of  our  friends.  We  hired  him  the 
same  day.  His  name  was  Alvares.  His  mldness, 
his  complaisance,  his  regularity  in  fulfilling  his  duties, 
secured  him  our  esteem.  He  had  that  spirit  of 
modesty  and  humility  which  made  him  beloved  by 
everybody ;  but  notwithstanding  the  excellence  of 
his  disposition,  he  was  frightfully  melancholy,  and 
constantly  sighing.  I  conceived  a  great  interest  fo  • 
him.  This  lad  evinced  an  affection  for  me,  and  1 
returned  it :  it  was  sufficient  that  be  was  unhapp\', 
to  render  him  dear  to  me. 

1  esteemed  Alvares  so  much,  that  I  took  it  into 
m\-  head  to  dissipate  his  chagr'n  ;  for  his  sombre, 
melancholy   air   disturbed   me.      I   made    him    come 


204  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

one  da}'  into  Don  Manoel's  apartment,  in  order  that 
he  might  disco\'er  to  me  the  cause  of  his  grief.  I 
began  by  asking  him  if  he  were  displeased  with  us, 
and  told  hini  that  we  were  well  satisfied  with  him; 
and  that  the  melancholy  in  which  he  was  absorbed 
would  sooner  or  later  bring  him  to  the  tomb.  Alvares 
heard  me  with  a  sigh,  and  said  nothing.  "  You  are 
in  love,"  I  continued,  "and  your  affection  is  not 
returned.  Confess  it  to  me:  if  the  person  whom  you 
love  be  dependent  on  me,  or  reside  in  our  neighbour- 
hood, do  not  constrain  yourself;  open  your  heart  to 
me  ;  I  am  sufficiently  your  friend  to  obtain  you  the 
object  of  }'our  desires." — "  I  am  in  love,  it  is  true," 
replied  Alvares,  "but  witiiout  any  hope,  though  I  am 
loved  by  the  most  amiable  creature  that  Heaven 
could  ever  form."  These  words  surprised  me  from 
the  mouth  of  a  valet.  "Your  excessive  kindnesses 
for  me,"  continued  he,  "are  so  reiterated,  that  I  feel 
no  difficulty  in  confiding  in  you,  and  letting  }-ou 
know  who  I  am." 

Don  Manoel,  who  heard  us  from  his  closet,  and 
could  not  restrain  his  curiosity,  came  out  and  joined 
us.  Alvares  was  surprised  to  see  him  so  near,  and 
would  have  left  us.  Don  Manoel  stopped  him,  telHng 
him  that  he  had  heard  our  conversation,  and  that  the 
interest  he  felt  in  it  had  engaged  him  to  leave  his 
closet  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  the  rest;  and  that 
he  might  look  upon  us  in  no  other  light  than  that  of 
his  friends.  "  Oh  !  gentlemen,"  cried  he,  "how  much 
am  I  confused  by  your  kindness  1 

"  My  family  is  noble,  but  nobility  is  but  a  very 
trifling  matter  when  it  is  not  sustained  by  a  good 
fortune.  I  had  a  mother  who,  by  her  coquetry  and 
the  great  airs  which  she  gave  herself,  ruined  my  father 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  205 

in  a  very  short  time.  Happil}'  I  was  the  only  fruit 
of  their  marriage.  My  father,  who  was  called  Don 
Alvar  del  Sol,  died  of  grief  by  reason  of  this;  and 
m\'  mother,  unable  to  bear  up  against  the  distress 
which  she  had  herself  brougiit  on,  followed  him  shortly 
after." — "  What;  !  "  interrupted  Don  INIanoel,  "  are  you 
the  son  of  Don  Alvar  del  Sol .''  Ah  !  my  dear  Don 
Carlos,  let  me  embrace  you."  Don  Manoel  threw 
himself  upon  his  neck,  and  recalled  to  his  recollection 
that  they  had  studied  together  at  Madrid.  I  was 
delighted  within  m}-self  at  this  discovery,  and  begged 
Don  Carlos  to  make  known  to  us  his  misfortunes. 
My  friend  asked  him  news  of  Don  Lopez,  whose 
wealth  was  immense,  and  who  had  resided  at  Madrid. 
"Alas!"  replied  Carlos,  "he  is  the  author  of  all  my 
misfortunes,  and  by  the  means  I  will  relate." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

TRAGICAL   HISTORY  OF  DON  CARLOS  AND    DONNA    SOPHIA. 

"  After  the  death  of  my  parents,  Don  Lopez  de 
ia  Crusca,  my  maternal  uncle,  took  charge  of  my 
infancy  ;  and  it  was  under  his  eyes  that  I  performed 
my  studies.  In  spite  of  his  extreme  avarice,  he  loved 
me,  and  had  taken  me  home  with  tiim,  where  I  lived 
happy,  and  without  inquietude  ;  but  love  came  at  last 
to  trouble  my  repose.  My  uncle  procured  me  all  the 
pleasures  which  can  gratify  a  young  man  who  has 
just  left  college.  We  went  frequently  to  the  Prado 
together,  and  this  promenade  was  our  principal 
amusement.  One  day  when  we  were  there,  my  uncle, 
being  tired  of  walking,  sat  down,  and  out  of  good 


2o6  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

breeding  I  sat  down  with  him.  There  was  opposite 
to  us  a  bench,  on  which  was  seated  the  most  lovely 
person  one  could  behold.  She  cast  a  look  at  me  now 
and  then,  and  her  looks  were  so  many  arrows  darted 
at  me  b\'  love.  Her  companion,  however,  whom  I 
supposed  her  mother,  arose,  and  she  followed  her. 
Seeing  that  they  left  the  promenade  by  the  side  on 
which  we  lived,  I  feigned  indisposition  to  induce  my 
uncle  to  return  home.  He  complied  with  my  wish, 
and  I  had  the  happiness  of  following  at  a  distance  the 
person  who  of  all  the  world  had  become  dearest  to 
me.  What  was  my  surprise  at  seeing  them  go  into 
the  house  exactly  opposite  our  own  !  I  asked  my 
uncle  if  he  knew  the  ladies  who  lived  opposite;  but 
he  replied  that,  having  never  chosen  to  visit  his 
neighbours,  he  did  not  desire  to  know  them.  I  told 
him  that  there  was,  however,  a  treasure  in  that  house, 
since  it  enclosed  the  most  lovely  person  in  the  world. 
'That  may  be,'  said  my  uncle,  'and  yet  I  take  no 
interest  in  it.' — '  If  you  be  interested  for  me,  my  dear 
uncle,'  replied  I,  '  you  will  introduce  me  at  that  house.' 
— '  No,  nephew,'  replied  he,  '  I  have  taken  care  of  you 
till  this  time,  and  I  do  not  repent  it,  since  }'ou  have 
aUvax's  obeyed  me.  Attend  to  my  advice.  Do  not 
go  to  that  house:  I  have  my  reasons.'  He  then 
retired,  and  left  me  alone. 

"  I  was  not  unmindful  of  what  my  uncle  had  said ; 
but  love  obtained  the  victory,  and  on  the  following 
day  I  went  to  pay  a  neighbourly  visit  to  the  parents 
of  the  lady  whom  I  had  seen.  The  reception  which 
they  gave  me  enchanted  me.  I  perceived  that  the 
daughter  at  sight  of  me  had  blushed  exceedingly  ; 
I  believe,  on  my  side,  I  was  not  too  free  from  the 
same  weakness,  being  sensible  of  a  flame  which  had 


7 HE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  207 

been  hitherto  unknown  to  me.  The  father  and 
mother  of  Donna  Sophia  (this  was  her  name),  know- 
ing me  to  be  the  nephew  of  Don  Lopez  de  la  Crusca. 
reproached  me  for  not  having  been  to  visit  them 
before.  I  excused  myself  in  the  best  way  I  could, 
and  told  them  that  my  uncle  was  so  extraordinary  a 
man  that  he  saw  nobod\' ;  that,  for  m\-  own  part,  I 
had  done  m\self  a  great  deal  of  constraint  in  not 
having  called  on  them  before,  and  that  they  might 
rely  upon  me  for  the  future,  since  they  permitted  it. 
Donna  Sophia,  while  I  was  speaking,  ceased  not  to 
gaze  on  me,  and  I  went  out  the  most  enamoured  of 
men. 

"  I  continued  my  visits  during  six  entire  months. 
No  happiness  could  equal  my  own  ;  I  loved  and  was 
beloved.  I  formed  the  design  of  asking  Donna  Sopliia 
from  her  parents  in  marriage.  They  granted  me, 
without  hesitation,  their  consent,  on  condition  that 
my  uncle  would  subscribe  to  it ;  for  without  that  they 
retracted  their  word,  since  I  had  no  expectation  of 
property  but  from  him.  I  went  to  make  known  my 
happiness  to  Donna  Sophia  ;  she  blushed,  and  for 
the  first  time  embraced  me.  I  read  in  her  e}'es  that  I 
did  not  displease  her  as  a  husband.  Her  father  and 
mother  came  to  interrupt  us,  and  I  returned  to  my 
uncle's.  I  there  threw  myself  on  my  knees,  and  con- 
fessed that  in  spite  of  his  prohibition  I  had  been  to 
see  Donna  Sophia,  and  was  madly  in  love  with  her  ; 
and  that  her  parents  had  consented  to  give  her  to 
me  in  marriage,  provided  he  opposed  no  obstacle  to 
my  felicity.  '  Nephew,'  replied  he,  '  I  oppose  none. 
Espouse  your  mistress;  I  consent  to  it.  I  know  that 
for  six  months  you  have  been  regularly  in  the  habit 
of  visiting  her.     I  have  never  spoken  of  it ;  you  this 


2o8  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

day  avow  it  to  me  ;  be  happy;  but  never  hope,  while 
I  live,  for  any  part  of  my  property ' — '  Ah,  uncle,' 
cried  I,  '  }-our  consent  suffices,  and  I  prefer  Donna 
Sophia  to  all  the  wealth  in  the  world.'  The  next  day 
I  acquainted  my  mistress  with  my  uncle's  reply,  and 
she  informed  her  parents,  who  immediately  went  to 
visit  Don  Lopez,  that  they  might  concert  together 
the  arrangements  for  our  marriage.  They  left  me 
with  their  daughter,  and  went  to  my  uncle's,  who  on 
his  part  was  much  surprised  at  their  visit.  He  let 
them  talk  as  long  as  they  pleased,  and  then  replied, 
'  that  he  readily  consented  to  the  honour  they  designed 
me,  but  that  I  had  nothing  to  expect  from  him  during 
his  life;'  such  were  his  intentions.  It  was  in  vain 
they  represented  to  my  uncle  that  I  did  not  merit 
this  injustice  ;  this  implacable  old  man  would  not 
swerve  one  jot  from  his  opinion,  and  turned  his  back 
upon  them.  The  parents  of  Donna  Sophia  were 
cruelly  offended,  and  returning  home,  told  me  that 
m\'  uncle  would  do  nothing  for  me,  that  they  begged 
me  never  more  to  set  foot  in  the  house,  and  ordered 
their  daughter  never  to  see-  me  again. 

"  A  criminal  who  hears  his  sentence  read,  was  never 
more  struck  with  terror  nor  more  troubled  than  I  at 
this  dreadful  news.  I  was  taken  so  ill,  that  they  were 
obliged  to  have  me  carried  home ;  it  was  long  ere  I 
came  to  myself,  and  my  uncle,  whom  I  may  justly 
call  cruel,  left  me  alone,  and  went  to  his  country 
liouse.  I  inquired  after  Sophia,  and  was  informed 
that  her  parents  had  sent  her  to  Carthagena,  to  a 
convent  of  which  an  aunt  of  hers  was  abbess.  As 
scjon  as  I  was  in  a  state  to  go  out,  I  directed  my  steps 
thither,  but  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  behold  the 
object    of  my  love.      Despairmg,   without  resource. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  209 

without  support,  I  would  not  set  foot  in  my  uncle's 
house,  nor  see  him.  I  wandered  during  two  years 
from  town  to  town,  wliere,  not  knowing  what  to  do,  I 
devoted  myself  to  service,  until  such  time  as  it  shall 
please  Heaven  to  release  me  from  my  misery.  Death 
only  can  put  an  end  to  my  misfortunes." 

Our  ladies  came  to  interrupt  us  by  bringing  us 
news  from  Madrid,  which  were,  that  Don  Lopez  de 
la  Crusca  was  dead,  and  that  having  left  his  property 
to  Don  Carlos  de  la  Sol,  it  remained  for  him  to  make 
himself  known.  Don  Carlos  mourned  his  death, 
which  certainly  >howed  his  good  nature.  Our  wives, 
not  being  apprised  of  the  change  in  Alvares,  were 
surprised  to  see  him  weep,  till  we  informed  them 
who  he  was.  They  then  congratulated  him  on  his 
good  fortune.  Carlos  a  mement  after  cried  out,  "  I 
can  now  be  happy ;  my  uncle  is  no  more."  He 
immediately  wrote  to  the  parents  of  Donna  Sophia, 
informing  them  wliat  had  happened  ;  and  in  the 
interval  which  must  elapse  before  he  could  receive 
an  answer,  set  out  to  secure  his  succession.  After 
having  thanked  and  embraced  us,  he  went  away, 
more  amorous  than  ever.  We  caused  him  to  be 
accompanied  by  one  of  our  servants,  at  whose  return 
we  were  informed  of  his  fate.  On  asking  for  him, 
which  was  our  first  care,  what  was  our  astonishment 
at  learning  that  he  was  no  more  !  The  servant 
informed  us,  "that  while  at  his  uncle's  country  house 
to  take  possession,  he  there  received  intelligence  that 
the  parents  of  Sophia  agreed  to  his  marr)'ing  her,  and 
that  he  had  only  to  repair  to  Madrid  for  the  purpose, 
for  that  they  had  written  to  Carthagena  to  have  her 
return  from  the  convent.  This  news  was  so  great  to 
him,   and  the  joy  he  felt    so    violent,  that   after  a 

o 


2IO  2  HE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

thousand  demonstrati  ns  of  it,  and  a  thousand  extra- 
vagances, he  died  in  the  arms  of  several  friends  to 
whom  he  had  imparted  his  happiness. 

"  Tiic\'  sent  me  to  Madrid,"  continued  the  servant, 
"  feo  inform  the  parents  of  Sophia  of  what  had  taken 
place,  and  they  wrote  immediately  to  the  abbess  of 
the  convent  where  she  was,  that  Don  Carlos  had  died 
f  j  )'.  They  learned,  in  reply,  that  Sophia  had 
received  with  great  indifference  the  news  that  she 
was  going  to  be  married  to  Don  Carlos,  as  she  said 
she  was  fond  of  solitude.  Nevertheless  when,  some 
days  after,  she  heard  that  Don  Carlos  was  dead,  she 
fell  down  in  a  swo  n,  and  remained  eight  days  with- 
out recollection.  She  had  raised  her  eyes  to  Heaven, 
and  they  heard  her  pr  nounce  ther:c  words  :  '  O 
Heaven  !  is  it  possible  1  He  is  no  more  !  '  The  sighs 
which  she  ■  ttered,  and  the  tears  which  flowed  from 
her  in  abundance,  prevented  her  from  saying  more. 
In  this  state  she  continued,  refusing  every  kind  of 
iiouri'^hment,  until  her  sufferings  were  terminated  by 
death." 

We  were  much  afflicted  at  this  news,  and  c  uld 
not  refuse  our  tears  to  the  misf  rtunes  of  the  un- 
fortunate Don  Carlos  and  Donna  Sophia.  They 
were  dissipated  by  the  visit  of  Don  Gregorio,  ray 
brother-in-law,  with  my  sister.  They  remaine  '  with 
us  a  month,  and  took  a  deal  of  interest  in  the  tragical 
history  of  D  n  Carlos,  of  which  we  gave  them  a 
recital.  We  procured  them  all  the  pleasures  we 
had  formeWy  enjoyed.  It  was  thus  we  preserved,  by 
our  reciprocal  visits,  the  friendship  which  reigned 
between  us. 


END  OF  THE  THIRD  PART. 


PART    THE    FOURTH. 


CHAPTER    I. 

DON  CHERUBIN  DE   LA    RONDA,    FIFTEEN    MONTHS    AFTER 
HIS    MARRIAGE,     BECOMES     THE    MOST    AMOROUS     OP 

HUSBANDS DON  GABRIEL    CARRtES    OFF  HIS    WIFE 

HE  PURSUES  HER   RAVISH ER    IN    VAIN — HE   GIVES    UP 
THE  PURSUIT,  AND  RESOLVES   TO  GO   TO  MEXICO. 

In  this  manner  then  did  my  two  brothers-in-law 
and  myself  live  with  our  wives.  Don  Gregorio  and 
Don  Manoel  g'ave  me  every  day  new  proofs  of  their 
esteem,  as  I,  on  my  part,  failed  not  to  treat  tiiem 
with  the  most  respectful  deference  and  attention. 
What  is  most  worthy  of  notice  is,  that  our  ladies 
were  not  less  united  than  ourset-ves.  They  scarcely 
ever  contradicted  each  other,  and  when  r.uch  a  thing 
did  happen,  it  was  always  without  bitterness,  and 
their  disputes  were  always  terminated  by  laughter. 

To  crown  our  happiness,  we  were  soon  made  sen- 
sible that  Heaven  had  blessed  our  marriages.  Ismenia 
in  about  ten  months  was  delivered  of  a  boy,  Donna 
Paula  of  a  daughter,  and  Donna  Francisca,  my  sister, 
brought  into  the  world  two  at  once,  as  if  to  make 
amends  for  her  former  sterility,  or  perhaps  to  con- 
vince Clevillente  that  it  was  in  his  arms  alone  she 
could  be  fruitful. 

Our  society,  delighted  with   these   fortunate   ac- 


212  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

couchements,  celebrated  them  by  feasts  which  formed 
occasions  for  rejoicing  to  the  whole  village.  In  fact, 
we  had  now  no  wish  ungratified.  In  whatever  spot 
we  were,  joy  reigned  incessantly  among  us ;  and 
though  our  pleasures  had  in  our  own  families  an 
inexhaustible  source,  we  had  notwithstanding  a  great 
number  of  friends  who  came  to  augment  them  by 
partaking  them  with  us.  When  we  were  at  Clevil- 
lente's  house,  the  hidalgos  of  the  environs  afforded 
us  good  company  there ;  and  when  we  resided  at 
Alcaraz,  Don  Manoel's  house  became  the  rendezvous 
of  the  gentry  of  the  town,  as  well  as  of  the  illustrious 
strangers  who  came  there. 

We  enjoyed  a  felicity  the  most  perfect,  aid  I  in 
particular  was  satisfied  with  my  lot:  in  Donna 
Paula's  arms  I  found  a  source  of  the  most  pure  and 
inexpressible  pleasures,  and  though  married,  I  loved 
her  more  than  ever — too  happy  had  the  blessings  I 
enjo\-ed  been  of  longer  duration.  I  thought  I  had 
arrived  at  the  end  of  my  misfortunes  ;  but  I  had  not 
yet  undergone  my  destiny,  which  had  evils  in  store 
for  me  greater  than  any  which  had  yet  befallen  me. 

Among  a  number  of  cavaliers  who  joined  in  our 
parties  of  pleasure,  there  was  one  who  called  himself 
Don  Gabriel  de  Monchique.  He  stated  himself  to 
be  from  the  kingdom  of  Algarves,  and  gave  himself 
out  as  a  relation  of  the  Count  of  Villa  Nova.  In 
travelling  through  Spain  out  of  curiosity,  he  had 
stopped  at  Alcaraz,  and  we  had  become  acquainted 
with  him.  Besides  having  the  equipage  of  a  grandee, 
he  was  extremely  ceremonious,  and  his  manners  were 
so  noble,  that  he  could  not  be  suspected  as  a  man  of 
a  common  class;  one  would  rdther  have  taken  him 
for  a  young  prince  who  was  travelling  incognito 
through  the  Spanish  monarchy,  than  for  a  private 


THE  BACHELOR  r p  SALA MA NCA .  213 

gentleman.  I  never  saw  a  man  who  had  a  better 
air  or  more  agreeable  figure;  nor  was  his  mind 
inferior  to  the  elegance  of  his  person.  My  brothers- 
in-law  and  myself  were  charmed  with  him  from  the 
first  moment,  and  spared  no  pains  to  acquire  his 
friendship.  We  took  pleasure  in  introducing  him  to 
our  Jad'es,  who,  perhaps,  secretly  taxed  us  with 
imprudence,  in  bringing  into  their  presence  so  dan- 
gerous an  object.  As  for  us  husbands,  instead  of 
being  alarmed  for  the  consequences,  we  acted  like 
true  Frenchnien^  by  admitting  him  into  our  society 
at  all  risks. 

He  soon  gave  us  to  understand  that  we  had  let 
the  wolf  into  the  sheepfold,  and  unfortunately  for 
me,  my  wife  was  the  sheep  he  took  a  fancy  to  devour. 
I  saw  very  plainly  that  she  was  not  unpleasing  t  -> 
him;  but  this  circumstance  was  very  far  from 
alarming  me :  I  only  laughed  at  it.  I  sometimes 
congratulated  Donna  Paula,  in  jest,  on  having  made 
a  conquest  of  such  a  handsome  man,  and  she  in  the 
same  style  would  reply  that  she  was  happy  in  being 
able  to  make  me  a  sacrifice  so  flattering.  Nay 
more!  I  made  m}-self  an  amusement  out  of  IMon- 
chique's  1  ve.  Far  from  having  any  inquietude  on 
the  subject,  I  congratulated  myself  in  secret  on 
seeing  so  amiable  a  rival  sigh  in  vain.  In  a  word,  I 
conceived  the  sister  of  Don  Manoel  too  prudent  to 
step  aside  from  the  path  of  duty ;  but  I  relied  on 
her  pruden  e  too  far.  The  gallant,  who  had  formed 
the  design  of  seducing  her,  succeeded  but  too  well, 
through  the  agency  of  an  old  waiting  woman,  who 
had  obtained  a  great  ascendency  over,  the  mind  of 
my  wife,  and  whose  fidelity  she  f -und  the  means  of 
corrupting. 

The  most  singular  circumstance  in  this  seduction 


214  THE  BACHELOR  OE  SALAMANCA. 

was  that  it  was  managed  so  secretly  that  I  had  not 
the  slightest  suspicion  of  it.  M\-  wife  was  even  already 
far  off  from  Alcaraz  when  I  was  informed  that  she 
had  disappeare.i  with  Antonia,  her  maid,  as  had  also 
Don  Manoel,  and  that  in  all  probability  this  cavalier 
had  carried  them  off. 

I  gave  no  credit  whatever  to  the  first  report  which 
was  brought  me  on  the  subject,  in  which,  to  my 
apprehension,  there  was  not  the  slightest  probability. 
"  No,  no,"  cried  I,  "  it  is  not  possible  tliat  ni}'  wife, 
whose  virtue  has  been  unshaken  to  this  moment, 
should  begin  by  carrying  matters  to  such  an  extremity 
as  that;  this  would  indeed  be  a  most  extraordinary 
cou/>  d'essai.  I  should  have  been  less  surprised  at  this 
adventure,  had  the  wife  of  one  of  my  brothers-in-law 
been  the  heroine  of  it ;  for  such  a  thing  would  suit 
them  better  than  Donna  Paula,  whose  conduct  has 
been  hitherto  irreproachable.  Notwithstanding,  it  is 
she  who,  in  spite  of  the  excellent  education  she  has 
had,  has  just  covered  herself  with  infamy.  How 
could  this  possibly  have  happened  ?  Don  Gabriel 
must  have  employed  force  to  carry  her  off.  But  by 
what  dexterity  was  he  enabled  to  tear  her  from  the 
bosom  of  her  family  and  the  arms  of  her  husband? 
By  what  enchantment  has  he  been  able  to  effect  this 
crime,  without  leaving  a  single  trace  of  it  behind.'' 
This  event  confounds  me." 

Clevillente  and  Pedrilla,  not  knowing  what  to  think 
of  this  rape,  were  no  less  astonished  at  it  than  myself. 
We  did  not,  however,  content  ourselves  with  thinking 
about  the  business,  but  all  three  made  the  most 
vigorous  exertions  to  discover  the  route  which  the 
ravisher  had  taken  with  his  prey.  We  made,  both  on 
the  side  of  Murcia  and  of  Valencia,  the  most  diligent 
researches,  all  of  which  were  ineffectual.     We  con- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  21$ 

eluded  I'lat  Monchique  had  gained  the  coast  of 
Carthagcna,  and  embarked  there  on  board  some 
vessel,  prepared  by  his  orders  to  transport  him  to 
Portugal  with  his  Helen.  I  stopped  at  this  conjecture, 
and,  resolving  to  follow  this  new  Pario,  I  prepared  to 
go  and  seek  him  in  the  kingdom  of  the  Algarves, 
where  I  flattered  myself  I  should  find  him, 

Don  Manoel,  not  considering  himself  less  interested 
in  obtaining  satisfaction  for  the  proceeding  of  Don 
Gabriel,  was  absolutely  determined  on  accompanying 
me,  notwithstanding  all  I  co-.i'd  say  to  turn  him  from 
his  design,  wishing  nothing  so  much  as  to  convince 
me  that  a  brother  such  as  himself  was  not  less 
sensible  than  a  husband  of  the  affront  done  to  his 
family,  I  had  no  small  difficulty  in  persuading  him 
to  leave  to  myself  the  care  of  our  common  vengeance. 
He  yielded,  however,  to  my  persevering  requests, 
which  were  seconded  by  the  tears  of  his  wife.  I 
therefore  prepared  myself  to  follow  Monchique ;  but 
before  my  departure  I  begged  Don  Manoel  to  charge 
himself  with  the  care  of  having  his  niece,  my  daughter, 
educated,  and  of  the  administration  of  my  rents. 
Then,  having  plentifully  supplied  m}self  with  gold 
and  jewels,  as  with  a  foresight  that  I  was  to  be  a 
long  while  absent  from  Alcaraz,  I  took  leave  of  my 
brothers-in-law  and  their  wives,  whom  I  did  not  quit 
without  exciting  their  tears,  nor  without  shedding 
them  abundantly  myself  The  ladies  in  particular 
were  much  moved  when  we  bade  farewell,  whether 
because  they  were  really  afflicted  at  my  departure,  or 
because  they  were  still  good  comedians, 

I  proceeded  to  the  port  of  Vera,  where  I  embarked 
with  a  lackey,  on  whose  courage  and  fidelity  I  could 
rely,  in  a  vessel  freighted  for  Lagos,  a  town  which 
forms  the  point  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Algarves,  on 


2l6  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

the  sea-coast.  I  was  no  sooner  arrived  there  than  I 
began  to  make  inquiry  for  Don  Gabriel  Monchique, 
and,  as  they  informed  me  that  he  was  not  known  in 
Lagos,  I  went  from  town  to  town  endeavouring  to  ob- 
tain an  account  of  him.  I  passed  through  Tavira,  Faro, 
Sagres  ;  in  a  word,  all  the  kingdom  of  the  Algarves, 
without  deriving  any  other  fruit  from  my  researches 
than  the  mortification  of  having  made  them  in  vain. 
I  was  in  despair  at  not  meeting  my  enem\',  and 
respired  only  vengeance. 

"What  rodomontade!"  will  perhaps  exclaim  some 
of  my  readers,  who  remember  the  business  of  Don 
Antonio  de  Lorca,  and  the  difficulty  I  had  to  bring 
myself  to  a  resolution  of  engaging  in  a  combat,  two 
against  two.  It  is,  however,  a  certain  fact  that  I 
would  willingly  have  discovered  Don  Gabriel,  to 
expose  myself  with  him  to  the  chance  of  having  my 
throat  cut.  I  must  have  become  brave  since  that 
time,  or  else  my  injured  honour  inspired  me  with 
a  spirit  of  vengeance  which  supplied  the  place  of 
valour. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  Toston,  my  valet,  who  began  to 
be  tired  of  so  many  useless  journeys,  said  to  me  one 
day :  "  Signior,  we  are  both  tiring  ourselves  to  no 
purpose.  Let  us  leave  off  running  over  Portugal  after 
a  man  who  may  have  directed  his  course  to  Flanders, 
or  perhaps  to  Italy.  Besides,  do  you  know  whether 
the  lady  who  has  been  carried  off  deserves  that  you 
should  expose'  your  life  for  her }  As  to  me,  if  you 
will  permit  me  to  speak  my  mind,  I  fear  that  she 
travels  without  regret  with  Don  Gabriel,  or  rather 
with  an  adventurer,  for  I  am  much  mistaken  if  this 
gallant  be  not  a  new  Guzman  de  Alfarache,  or  some- 
thing like  him.  If  such  were  the  case,  would  it  not 
be  much  better  to  abandon  a  faithless  wife  to  her  evil 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  217 

destiny,  than  to  entertain  the  desire  of  living  with  her 
again  ?" — "  Assuredly,"  replied  I.  "  Do  not  imagine 
that  I  think  otherwise  than  yourself  about  the  matter. 
If  I  knew  that  she  had  voluntarily  left  me,  my  con- 
tempt for  her  would  prevent  me  from  seeking  her 
any  longer.  What  do  I  say  ?  Instead  of  continuing 
my  search,  I  should  look  upon  her  as  an  infamous 
wretch,  from  whom  I  could  not  possibly  place  myself 
at  too  great  a  distance.  But  I  cannot  believe  her  so 
guilty." 

"  What  prejudice  !  "  resumed  my  confidant.  "  Is  it 
possible  that  yoa  cannot,  with  the  good  sense  you 
possess,  imagine  the  possibility  of  a  hitherto  virtuous 
wife  ceasing  to  be  so  when  vigorously  assailed  by  the 
attentions  of  a  handsome  man  .''  What  a  mistake  !  I 
judge  less  favourably  than  you  of  Donna  Paula,  and 
I  have  particular  reason  for  doubting  her  virtue.  I 
must  make  you  acquainted  with  it.  I  one  day  saw 
Don  Gabriel  and  old  Antonia  conversing  in  private, 
with  an  air  of  mystery,  I  am  sure  that  \ou  were 
interested  in  their  discourse,  or  rather  that  they  w^ere 
concerting  together  the  plan  which  they  meditated, 
and  in  which  my  lady  was,  in  fact,  in  concert  with 
them." 

This  zealous  servant  told  me  so  man\'  other  things, 
and  returned  so  often  to  the  charge,  that  he  came  at 
last  to  persuade  me  that  I  had  been  deceived  by  a 
hypocritical  wife.  I  no  longer  doubted  it ;  and  im- 
mediately passing  from  one  extreme  to  the  other, 
"  Toston,"  cried  I,  "  \ou  have  opened  my  eyes.  YeSj 
I  have  been  the  dupe  of  pretended  virtue:  certain 
circumstances  which  \ou  have  related  convince  me 
of  it  but  too  well.  O  Heaven  !  how  great  has  been 
my  blindness  !  Donna  Paula  is  a  perfidious  wretch, 
whom  I  will  no  lonsrer  remember  but  to  detest." — "  I 


2i8  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

am  delighted,"  replied  Toston,  "  to  see  you  in  this 
mind.  Heaven  be  praised  for  it!  Come,  my  dear 
master,  let  us  no  longer  run  after  one  who  has  de- 
served your  hatred  ;  let  us  return  to  Alcaraz,  wherj 
Don  Manoel  and  Don  Gregorio,  your  brothers-in-law, 
and,  what  is  more,  your  friends,  will  assist  you  in 
banishing  her  from  your  memory." 

"  Ah  !  Toston,"  replied  I,  "  what  have  you  ventured 
to  propose  to  me?  You  ought  rather  to  counsel  me 
to  pass  the  Pillars  of  Hercules,  and  go  into  the  wilds 
of  Africa,  to  hide  my  disgrace  and  my  name.  I  feel 
an  invincible  repugnance  to  beholding  Alcaraz  again, 
after  the  mortal  blow  which  my  honour  has  receivea 
there.  I  would  rather  keep  from  it  for  ever,  or,  at  all 
events,  for  a  few  years." — "Well," said  he,  "since  you 
make  so  much  difficulty  about  returning  to  your 
friends,  let  us  take  another  course.  Let  us  sail  to  the 
West  Indies.  After  all  the  wonders  I  have  heard  of 
Mexico,  I  should  be  verj'-  glad  if  you  would  go  and 
see  that  charming  country,  which  deserves  the  pre- 
ference over  all  the  climates  in  the  world;  a  country 
in  which  reigns,  according  to  account,  an  eternal 
spring,  where  sick  persons  are  scarcely  ever  seen, 
where  the  entrails  of  the  earth  are  silver,  and  where, 
in  a  thousand  places,  the  rivers  run  over  golden  sands. 
It  is  there,  my  dear  master,  it  is  there  you  ought  to 
go." — "  You  have  inspired  me  with  a  wish  to  do  so, 
my  child,"  replied  I.  "I  am  pleased  with  the  idea; 
let  us  set  out  for  New  Spain.  The  thing  is  decided, 
and  I  am  determined  to  undertake  the  voyage.  Per- 
haps it  will  enable  me  the  more  easily  to  forget  the 
unworthy  sister  of  Don  Manoel." 

I  had  no  sooner  taken  this  resolution,  which  was 
in  effect  better  than  that  of  persisting  in  my  search 
after  a  woman  who  shunned  me,  than  I  proceeded  to 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  219 

Cadiz,  where  I  had  not  to  wait  a  week  for  an  oppor- 
tunity of  embarking  for  Mexico.  I  found  a  mercluuit- 
man  which  was  on  the  point  of  sailing  for  Vera  Cruz, 
and  hastened  to  avail  myself  of  this  convenience. 


CHAPTER   IT. 

DO.V  CHERUBIN  DE  LA  RON  DA  SAILS  FROM  CADIZ  AND 
ARRIVES  AT  VERA  CRUZ,  WHERE  HE  HIRES  MULES  TO 
PROCEED  BY  LAND  TO  MEXICO OF  THE  CURIOUS  CON- 
VERSA  TION  WHICH  HE  HAD  ON  THE  FIRST  DA  Y  OF  HIS 
JOURNEY  WITH  HIS  MULETEER,  AND  OF  THE  STORIES 
WHICH  TOBIAS  RELATES HE  CONCEIVES  GREAT  EX- 
PECT A  TIONS. 

In  order  to  spare  my  reader  a  tedious  journal  of  my 
passage  to  the  Indies,  I  shall  content  myself  with 
stating  that  after  having  experienced  some  perils  at 
sea,  I  arrived  happily  at  San  Juan  de  Uihua,  ot-her- 
wise  called  Vera  Cruz.  As  it  is  customar\-  to  travel 
on  mules  from  this  cit\'  to  Mexico,  I  begged  the 
master  of  the  inn  to  recommend  me  a  muleteer.  He 
sent  for  one,  and  presenting  him  to  me,  "  Signior 
Gentleman,"  said  he,  "here  is,  without  contradiction, 
the  best  muleteer  in  this  country.  He  will  supply 
you  with  very  good  mules,  and  will  take  particular 
care  of  your  property.  He  is,  besides,  a  witty  and 
good-humoured  lad,  who  will  amuse  you  with  his 
songs,  and  the  recital  of  a  thousand  little  tales  with 
which  his  memory  is  stuffed.  Is  not  this  the  fact, 
Master  Tobias.^"  continued  he,  turning  to  the  muleteer. 
"Yes,  Signior  Gutierrez,"  replied  the  muleteer,  "  I 
have,  thanks  be  to  God,  so  great  a  quantity  of  those 
goods  in  my  bag,  tliat  the  gentleman  will  be  in  no 
want  of  them  between  this  and  Mexico,  although  we 


220  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

have  eisrhtv  <Tood  leaG[;ues  to  travel.  It  is  now  about 
two  months  ago,"  added  he,  "since  I  took  thitlier  a 
fat  friar  of  the  Order  of  Mercy,  and  on  the  road  I 
related  to  him  such  a  number  of  stories,  that  I  thought 
he  would  have  burst  with  laughter." 

I  judged  by  this  answer  that  Master  Tobias  was 
a  babbler,  and  I  was  not  sorry  for  it.  "  He  ma\'," 
thought  I,  "sometimes  fatigue  my  ears  with  his  songs 
and  tales;  but  in  recompense,  he  will  sometimes 
divert  me.  I  am  even  of  opinion  that  he  will  inform 
me  on  seme  matters  which  I  am  desirous  of  knowing. 
As  for  Toston,  his  joy  was  so  much  the  greater,  as  he 
hoped  that  a  man  of  his  character  might  draw  me  out 
of  the  melancholy  into  which  at  times  I  fell  in  spite 
of  myself,  the  image  of  Donna  Paula  in  the  power  of 
Monchique  incessantly  arising  in  my  mind. 

On  the  morrow,  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  Master 
Tobias,  agreeably  to  our  engagement,  entered  the 
courtyard  of  the  inn  with  four  good  mules,  of  which 
there  was  one  for  me,  one  for  himself,  the  third  for 
my  servant,  and  the  last  was  destined  to  carry  my 
trunk  and  a  portmanteau,  which  contained  all  my 
effects.  We  set  out  on  our  journey,  and  were  scarcely 
half  a  league  on  the  road,  ere  Master  Tobias  gave 
employment  to  a  strong  voice  which  might  have  done 
honour  to  a  chanter  of  the  cathedral.  He  thundered 
forth  a  number  of  couplets  composed  in  the  time  of 
Carlos  V.  upon  the  conquest  of  Mexico.  I  was  too 
fond  of  my  country's  glory  not  to  hear  with  pleasure 
the  exploits  of  the  valiant  Cortez  and  his  companions; 
but,  besides  that  I  had  a  thousand  times  heard  the 
incredible  recital  of  that  conquest,  the  verses  which 
Master  Tobias  was  singing  did  not  render  it  very 
agreeable  to  the  ear;  the  poetry  not  being  quite 
adequate  to  the  dignity  of  the  subject. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  22t 

After  having  borne  about  twenty  couplets  of  the 
same  air,  I  interrupted  the  singer,  who  tired  me, 
though,  in  fact,  his  verses  were  ridiculous  enough  to 
have  amused  me.  For  my  sins  it  came  into  my  head 
to  say,  "You  sing  marvellously  well,  Master  Tobias  ; 
but  enough  of  it  for  the  present,  my  friend.  Signior 
Gutierrez,  my  host,  told  me,  as  you  know,  that  you 
have  an  infinitude  of  diverting  histories:  v/ill  you 
relate  one?" — "Most  willingly,"  replied  he,  "and 
rather  ten  than  one,  to  convince  you  that  Gutierrez 
has  told  you  the  truth.  I  will  evtn,"  continued  he, 
with  a  malicious  smile,  "  since  he  has  made  me 
welcome  with  the  histories  I  am  acquainted  with, 
begin  with  his  own,  which  will  perhaps  appear  to  }'ou 
pleasant  enough."  He  then  made  me  his  recital 
nearly  in  the  following  words: — 

"  The  Signior  Gutierrez,  a  native  of  Zamora,  hav- 
ing made  a  journey  to  Portugal,  married  there  the 
daughter  of  a  citizen  of  Santarem,  both  young  and 
pretty.  About  a  month  after  his  marriage,  he  em- 
barked with  her  at  Lisbon  for  Vera  Cruz,  with  a 
design  of  settling  there.  Hoping  to  make  a  fortune 
in  this  town,  he  hired  a  house,  the  same  which  he 
now  occupies,  and  turned  innkeeper.  He  soon  per- 
ceived that  he  had  done  a  ver\-  good  thing  in  coming 
to  Vera  Cruz,  for  his  house  was  alwa}'s  filled  with 
guests  drawn  thither  by  the  gentility  of  his  wife. 
Nothing  was  spoken  of  in  the  town  but  the  beautiful 
Portuguese  (so  she  was  called),  and  it  might  be  said 
that  she  made  as  many  conquests  as  there  went  young 
men  to  her  house.  Gutierrez,  naturally  jealous,  could 
not  without  terror  behold  this  concourse  of  gallants  ; 
and  to  withdraw  his  wife  from  the  eyes  of  men,  he 
shut  her  up  in  a  room,  where  he  had  her  food  c.inied 
to  her  by  an  old  black  slave  who  possessed   liis  con- 


222  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

fidence.  You  may  easily  imagine  that  a  husband 
who  treated  his  wife  in  this  way,  without  having  any 
reason  to  complain,  and  purely  out  of  jealousy,  could 
not  fail  to  render  himself  odious  to  all  who  knew  of 
his  tyranny,  that  is  to  say,  the  whole  town,  for  there 
was  nobody  ignorant  of  it.  Ever\'  person,  taking  an 
interest  in  the  fate  of  the  beautiful  Portuguese,  put 
up  prayers  to  Heaven  that  she  might  speedily  be 
released  from  her  tyrant ;  and  this  was  speedily  ac- 
complished. The  black,  who  alone  was  permitted  to 
enter  the  apartment  of  this  lady,  hearing  her  every 
day  groaning  and  lamenting,  was  touched  with  her 
distress ;  so  that  one  fine  night  he  released  her  from 
slavery,  and  disappeared  with  her  from  Vera  Cruz, 
neither  of  them  having  been  since  seen  or  heard  of." 
The  muleteer  here  stopped,  to  g^ve  way  to  his 
laughter  at  the  expense  of  Gutierrez.  As  I  was 
rather  serious,  Tobias  thought  that  this  stor\'  was  not 
to  my  taste;  and  to  put  me  into  a  gayer  humour,  he 
relatec  a  number  of  others,  which,  in  his  own  opinion 
at  least,  were  so  extremely  diverting,  that  I  thought 
he  would  have  burst  with  laughter,  like  the  fat  friar  of 
the  Order  of  Mercy  whom  he  had  conducted  before  us  : 
as  for  me,  I  had  little  inclination  to  bear  him  company 
in  his  merriment,  the  stor}''  of  a  seduced  wife  having 
p.ut  me  in  a  frame  of  mind  little  calculated  for  the 
enjoyment  of  buffoonery.  Toston  being  well  aware 
why  1  did  not  laugh,  and  remarking  that  I  even 
wished  Tobias  and  his  tales  at  the  devil,  said  to  him, 
in  order  to  change  the  discourse:  "What  you  have 
been  sa3'ing  is  extremely  pleasant  ;  but  have  you 
any  objection  that  we  should  talk  a  little  about 
Mexico?  You,  who  are  so  well  acquainted  with  that 
•ire;it  town,  must  be  able  to  inform  us  of  some  inte- 
resting  particulars.      What    do   }-ou   conceive  is  the 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  223 

most  worthy  of  attention  there  ?  " — "  Five  things," 
replied  Tobias ;  "  the  women,  the  dresses,  the  horses, 
the  streets,  and  the  carriages  of  the  nobility,  which 
surpass  in  magnificence  and  beauty  those  of  any 
other  court  in  Europe,  without  exception.  It  is  true 
that  to  ornament  them,  they  spare  neither  gold  nor 
silver.  They  even  employ  for  that  purpose  precious 
stones,  with  the  finest  silks  of  China.  The  horses 
have  bridles  enriched  with  fine  pearls:  their  bits  are 
of  silver;  and  one  would  suppose  from  their  proud 
movement,  that  they  are  sensible  of  their  advantage 
of  being  the  most  perfect  animals  ^f  their  species. 

"Let  us  now  come  to  the  streets,"  cmtinued  he; 
"they  are  of  an  unc  mm^n  width;  a  thing  extremely 
necessary  in  a  town  where  fifieen  thousand  carriages 
are  in  motion  every  day.  But  ne  must,  at  the  same 
time,  admire  the  good  rder  f  them,  for  there  is  not 
a  town  in  the  world  where  they  are  kept  cleaner ; 
and  indeed  it  would  be  pity  that  it  should  '  e  other- 
wise, on  account  of  the  shops,  which  present  an  air  of 
opulence  nowhere  else  to  be  seen.  Those,  among 
others,  in  the  Goldsmith's  Street,  are  filled  with 
immense  wealth,  and  most  extraordinary  workman- 
ship." 

"  I  am  most  curious  about  the  women,  Master 
Tobias,"  interrupted  Toston.  "  Your  impatience  is 
just,"  replied  the  muleteer.  "  What  I  have  to  tell 
you  about  the  women  certainly  merits  attention. 
The  Spanish  ladies  of  Mexic  are  generally  beautiful, 
and  their  beauty  is  considerably  heightened  by  their 
dress.  They  have  such  a  prodigious  quantity  of 
jewels,  that  they  appear  more  brilliant  than  the  stars. 
Wiiat  luxury!  wiiat  magnificence!  One  ought  to 
go  and  see  them  towards  the  close  of  the  day  in  the 
Alameda,  which  is  the  promenade  for  the  gentry  and 


224  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

principal  citizens.  It  is  there  you  may  judge  of  the 
excessive  expense  they  besto\y  on  dress.  But  it  is  in 
vain  that  they  are  naturally  lovely,  and  richly  attired; 
the  most  they  can  do  is  to  share  the  notice  of  the 
men  with  the  Indian  girls  of  their  suite,  whom  they 
have  walking  by  the  sides  of  their  carriages :  these 
blacks  arc  so  pretty  and  delicate,  that  they  are  often 
preferred  to  their  mistresses." 

"  Fie  !  Master  Tobias,"  cried  my  valet,  distorting 
his  features,  "  no  joking.  Can  those  tawny  skins  be 
looked  upon  with  any  pleasure?" — "With  any  plea- 
sure.?" repeated  the  muleteer;  "ah!  you  talk  like  a 
man  just  come  from  Spain,  and  who  has  never  been 
in  the  habit  of  seeing  brunettes  !  Go,  go ;  when  you 
shall  have  considered  them  well,  you  will  not  think 
them  so  disgusting.  The  gentlemen,"  added  he,  "and 
the  officers  of  Chancery  render  them  more  justice. 
The  Viceroy  himself  makes  them  extremely  welcome; 
and  his  Excellency  has  so  much  pleasure  in  their 
conversation,  that  the  wags  say  black  has  become  his 
favourite  colour." 

I  could  not  help  laughing  at  these  words  of  Master 
Tobias;  and,  in  order  to  enp^ai^e  him  to  tell  me  all 
he  knew  of  the  Count  de  Gelves,  who  was  at  that 
time  Viceroy  of  New  Spain,  I  asked  him  several 
questions  about  that  grandee,  to  which  he  replied  in 
a  manner  which  made  me  sensible  that  the  virtues 
and  vices  of  men  in  power  do  not  escape  the  notice 
of  the  public.  "  The  Count  de  Gelves,"  said  the 
muleteer,  "  is  rather  too  fond  of  money,  and  of  those 
black  girls  I  was  talking  about.  Tiiough  he  has  a 
hundred  thousand  ducats  a  year  out  of  the  king's 
treasury,  and  gets  a  million  at  least  by  the  presents 
he  receives  from  the  countr\-.  and  the  commerce  he 
C.'UTies  on  with  the  Philippine  Islands,  all  this  cannot 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  225 

satisfy  his  appetite  for  wealth.  With  the  exception 
of  this,  he  is  a  perfection  of  a  Viceroy.  He  knows 
better  than  any  of  his  predecessors  how  to  make  the 
laws  and  the  king's  authorit}'  respected  ;  and  he  is  so 
strict  that  he  is  called  for  dibtin'-tion  '  the  Butcher  of 
the  Bri;jands.' 

"  In  truth  he  well  deserves  this  name,"  continued 
Tobias,  "  for  the  pains  he  has  taken,  and  which  he 
still  takes  every  day,  to  clear  the  public  roads  of 
robbers;  for,  since  he  has  been  Viceroy,  he  has  caused 
more  murderers  and  malefactors  to  be  executed  than 
have  been  seen  punished  since  the  territories  of  the 
Great  Montezuma  changed  their  master.  But  we 
must  conceal  nothing.  If  the  Government  of  Mexico 
do  so  much  honour  to  the  Count  de  Gelves,  I  believe, 
between  ourselves,  that  he  is  a  little  indebted  to 
Signior  Don  Juan  de  Salzedo,  his  principal  .secretary, 
wiio  is  a  man  of  merit,  and  in  whom  he  very  justly 
confides  for  the  maiiagTsrufcTit  of  some  of  the  most 
laborious  duties  of  the  viceroyaltj'." 

I  interrupted  Tobias,  to  ask  him  if  Don  Juan  de 
Salzedo,  of  whom  he  spoke,  had  not  been  employed 
in  the  office  of  the  Duke  de  Uzeda.  "  Yes,  truly," 
replied  he,  "  and  he  would  be  so  still  if  the  Duke  de 
Uzeda  had  not  been  in  exile  since  the  death  of  our  good 
King  Philip  III. ;  but  immediately  after  the  disgrace  of 
tliat  minister,  Don  Juan  left  theCourt,  to  join  at  Mexico 
the  Duke  de  Gelves,  who  was  one  of  his  old  friends, 
and  to  whom  he  is  rather  a  colleague  than  a  secretarw" 

I  was  delighted  to  find  b)-  this  news  that  I  .should 
in  Mexico  be  in  a  land  of  acquaintance  ;  for  Don 
Juan  de  Salzedo  was  that  same  secretary  who  had 
made  choice  of  me  to  be  the  bearer  of  important 
despatches  to  Naples  for  the  Duke  de  Ossuna,  and 
who  had  the  habit  of  quoting  on  all  occasions  pas- 

P 


226  THE' BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

sages  from  Latin  authors.  I  told  the  muleteer  that  I 
knew  Don  Juan  de  Salzedo  well,  and  that  I  could 
even  boast  of  having  been  once  among  his  friends. 
"Ah,  Signior  Gentleman!"  exclaimed  Toby,  with 
great  vivacity,  "how  happy  are  you  in  having  a  friend 
of  so  much  importance.  I  know  not  what  brings  you  to 
Mexico  ;  but  with  whatever  view  you  may  have  come 
here,  be  assured  of  success,  since  you  are  acquainted 
with  a  man  who  disposes  of  all  the  employments 
which  the  Viceroy  can  bestow,  and  who,  as  one  may 
say,  is  the  mainspring  of  government." 

When  the  muleteer  Tobias  had  said  thus  much  of 
the  Count  de  Gelves  and  his  secretary,  he  returned 
once  more  to  the  delights  of  Mexico.  "  When,"  said 
he,  "yoii  shall  have  seen  this  town  and  its  environs, 
you  will  admit  that  if  there  be  a  country  on  earth 
which  may  be  compared  to  a  terrestrial  Paradise,  it 
is  that.  Andalusia  and  Lombardy,  so  praised  by 
travellers,  do  not  come  near  it."  And  on  this  Master 
Tobias  gave  us  a  description  interesting  enough,  but 
so  long  that  it  was  not  concluded  when  we  arrived  at 
Xalapa,  the  first  small  town  on  our  road,  and  in  which 
there  is  an  inn  commonly  well  stocked  with  provisions. 


CHAPTER  III. 

OF  THE  MEETING  WHICH  DON  CHERUB  FN  HAD  WITH  A 
FRIAR  OF  THE  ORDER  OF  SAINT  FRANCIS,  ON  ENTER- 
ING   THE    TOWN   OF  XALAPA CONSEQUENCE   OF    THIS 

MEETING HE    SUPS     WITH     THE     SUPERIOR     OF     THE 

MONASTERY DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  MONKS   WHOM  HE 

MEETS  WITH  THERE AFTER  SUPPER  HE  PLAYS,  WINS, 

AND  RETIRES  AT  MIDNIGHT  FROM  THE  MONASTERY. 

As  we  alighted  at  the  door  of  this  inn,  there  poised 
by  us  a  friar  of  the  Order  of  Saint  Francis,  whom 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  227 

my  servant  and  myself  viewed  with  as  much  atten- 
tion as  wc  thought  he  merited.  He  was  mounted 
on  a  good  horse,  and  accompanied  by  two  moorish 
shives  who  walked  at  his  stirrups.  He  wore  a  robe 
of  brown  wool  turned  up  and  attached  to  his  girdle 
by  a  silken  cord,  exhibiting  drawers  of  fine  holland 
embroidered  at  the  top,  silk  stockings,  and  shoes  of 
Spanisii  leather  with  red  heels.  He  had  above  his 
frock  a  hat  of  Canadi  m  beaver,  of  which  the  lining 
was  of  flesh-coloured  satin.  So  much  grandeur  in  a 
mendicant  friar  appeared  to  me  a  little  out  of  order; 
but  having  learned  that  in  this  country  it  was  cus- 
tomary to  see  such  things,  I  prepared  myself  for 
witnessing  others  of  a  surprising  nature. 

I  was  told  that  this  Cordelier  was  the  Superior 
of  the  convent  at  Xalapa,  who  probably  was  going 
to  pay  some  visit  at  the  extremity  of  the  town.  I 
saluted  him  with  a  respectful  air,  and  he  returned  my 
salute  with  a  great  deal  of  civility.  I  had  no  sooner 
lost  sight  than  I  thought  no  more  of  him  ;  and  was 
far  from  entertaining  an  idea  that  we  should  sup 
together  that  evening,  when,  about  three  hours  after, 
there  came  into  the  inn  a  little  friar  who  inquired 
for  the  muleteer  Tobias.  They  spoke  together  a 
moment  in  private;  after  which  coming  to  me, 
"  Signior,"  said  the  muleteer,  introducing  me  to  the 
friar,  "here  is  a  little  brother  who  comes  to  acquit 
himself  of  a  commission  with  which  his  Superior  has 
charged  hiui." —  'Yes,  Signior  Cavalier,"  said  the 
friar,  "our  most  holy  father  Guardian  entreats  you 
will  do  him  the  honour  to  come  and  sup  with  his 
reverence."  I  answered  the  little  brother  politeh', 
"that  the  proposition  was  too  agreeable  for  me  not  to 
accept  it  with  i)leasure,  and  that  he  might  a.-sure  his 
most  reverend  Superior  that  I  would  directly  prepare 


228  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

mj'self  for  visiting  his  monastery,"  as  in  effect  I  did, 
leaving  the  muleteer  and  Toston  at  the  inn. 

I  met  at  the  gate  of  the  convent  the  father  Guar- 
dian, who  was  waiting  to  conduct  me  himself  to  his 
apartment.  "Signior  Cavalier,"  said  he,  saluting  me 
with  a  dignified  air,  "pardon  the  libertx' which  one 
of  your  countrymen  has  taken  in  inviting  you  to 
supper;  but  it  is  my  custom  so  to  act  with  all  the 
Spanisli  cavaliers  who  pass  this  way  on  the  road  to 
Mexico.  It  affords  me  an  extreme  pleasure  to  receive 
them,  and  to  hear  from  them  news  of  my  country,  for  I 
am  a  native  of  Billao,  the  capital  of  Biscay,  of  which 
my  accent  will  easily  inform  }-ou.  I  am  descended 
from  the  ancient  Counts  of  Durango,  who  so  signalised 
themselves  in  the  wars  of  Fernando  against  the  Moors> 
and  in  those  of  Carlos  V.  in  the  low  countries." 

I  judged  by  this  opening  that  the  monk,  in  spite 
of  the  vows  he  had  made,  still  preserved  the  Biscayan 
character.  Accordingly,  in  order  to  flatter  his  vanity, 
I  told  him  "  that  by  his  noble  and  majestic  air,  I  was, 
from  the  first  sight,  inclined  to  believe  that  he  must 
be  a  man  of  quality ;  that  that  struck  the  view  at 
once;  and  finally,  that  I  found  myself  highly  honoured 
by  the  invitation  he  had  sent  me." 

Upon  this  the  monk,  who  appeared  to  be  a  man  of 
about  forty  and  some  odd  years,  introduced  me  into 
a  large  hall  decorated  with  portraits  which  represented 
different  saints  of  his  order.  From  thence,  having 
made  me  traverse  a  vast  court  filled  with  palms  and 
oraufre  trees,  he  led  me  into  a  wing  of  the  building 
separated  from  the  rest,  where  he  himself  resided. 
To  show  me  all  the  parts  of  his  dwelling,  he  made 
me  pass  through  several  rooms  hung  with  cotton 
tapestr}-,  and  full  with  cui)boards  furnisiied  with  vases 
pf  porcelain.     This  good  father  then  opened  a  closet 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  229 

where  he  slept  upon  a  simple  woollen  mantle,  spread 
out  upon  a  mnt.  "  How  then,  my  reverened  father," 
cried  I,  "  is  it  on  that  your  reverence  sleeps  ?  I 
imagined  you  would  have  had  a  softer  bed." — "You 
are  ver}-  good,"  replied  he,  with  a  smile.  "  Do  you 
not  find  me  much  to  be  pitied  ?  Know  that  I  enjoy 
upon  that  pallet,  a  slumber  more  profound  than  that 
of  the  inquisitors  who  sleep  on  down  :  admire  the 
effect  of  habit.  I  have  only,"  continued  he,  "  my 
library  to  show  you."  At  the  same  time  he  ushered 
me  into  a  room  quite  unfurnished,  and  in  which  I 
perceived  about  twenty  old  worm-eaten  books  on  the 
floor,  thrown  one  upon  another,  ill  bound,  covered 
with  dust  and  cobwebs,  and  on  which  there  were  a 
guitar,  some  pieces  of  music,  and  a  great  number  of 
boxes  of  conserves.  At  this  sight,  which  appeared 
to  me  to  have  in  it  something  ridiculous,  I  had  no 
small  difficulty  in  keeping  my  countenance.  I,  how- 
ever, suppressed  my  inclination  to  laugh  ;  and  I  did 
well,  for  the  reverend  father  was  most  perfectly  satis- 
fied of  the  importance  of  what  he  was  displaying. 

When  it  was  time  to  sit  down  to  table,  we  went 
into  a  saloon  in  which  were  three  young  monks  who 
were  to  sup  with  us,  and  whom  he  introduced  to  me, 
with  an  eulogium  on  each  of  them.  One,  as  he  told 
me,  had  a  fine  voice,  the  other  made  good  verses,  and 
the  third  played  on  all  manner  of  musical  instru- 
ments. These  were  his  courtiers,  and  his  ordinary 
table  companions  when  he  received  strangers.  These 
young  friars  (what  I  should  be  wrong  to  forget)  were 
dressed  in  the  stjle  of  their  Superior  :  they  displayed 
under  their  large  sleeves,  doublets  of  white  satin,  and 
the  wrists  of  their  fine  hoUand  sh'rts  were  ornamented 
with  lace.  What  is  the  most  remarkable  is,  that  after 
the  fashion  of  their  Guardian,  they  all  laid  claim  to 


i30  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

distinguished  birth,  whether  they  were  really  entitled 
to  do  so,  or,  being  unknjown  to  each  other,  all  thought 
they  might  with  impunity  admit  themselves  into  the 
order  of  nobility.  To  finish  the  description,  they  were 
intelligent  men,  and  their  manners  rather  military 
than  monastic. 

I  was  astonished  at  the  number  of  dishes  with 
which  we  were  served  ;  there  were  enough  to  satisfy 
a  general  chapter.  All  kinds  of  solid  meat,  of  wild 
fowl  and  game,  composed  the  first  course  ;  and  the 
second  did  not  less  surprise  me  by  the  variety  of 
fruits  and  confections,  both  dried  and  liquid,  with 
which  the  table  was  covered.  I  remember  among 
other  things  that,  finding  s  me  conserves  of  an 
excellent  flavour,  I  said  to  the  Guardian,  "  These  are 
admirable  conserves.  How  fortunate  are  you,  father, 
in  having  such  cl'-vrr  confectioners  in  your  convent !" 
— "  These  con.=',e'-v  js,"  replied  he,  "  were  not  made  in 
the  house  :  they  are  the  work  of  some  good  nuns, 
whose  c  ^javen',  is  in  our  neighbourhood,  and  who 
give  themse'res  the  trouble  of  making  them  for  us." 

During  supper  all  these  friars  ceased  not  asking 
me  quc.tions  about  the  Court  of  Spain.  One  de- 
manded, of  what  character  was  the  king,  another,  if 
the  new  minister,the  Count  Duke  of  Olivarez,  worthily 
replaced  the  Dukes  of  Lerma  and  Uzeda ;  and  tlie 
Guardian  in  particular,  assuming  the  man  of  import- 
ance, informed  himself  successively  of  all  the  grandees, 
v^ith  whom  he  claimed  relationship.  He  boasted  of 
being  cousin  to  the  Duke  of  Ossuna,  nephew  of  the 
Dukes  of  Frias  and  Alberquerque,  allied  to  the  Mar- 
quesses of  Peguafiel  and  Avila  Fuente.  In  short,  he 
summed  up  his  genealogy,  in  which  he  modestly  in- 
cluded all  the  great  names  in  the  Spanish  monarchy. 

After  the  repast,  some  of  the  party  proposed  to  play 


The  bachelor  of  salamakca.         231 

eit  Primero,  and  this  proposal  was  generally  agreed  to. 
Cards  were  brought;  and  the  first  who  took  them  up 
to  deal  acquitted  himself  with  a  good  grace,  and  in  a 
manner  which  showed  that  he  was  well  accustomed  to 
handling  them.  Here  then  we  were,  fairly  engaged 
at  play.  Fortune  at  first  seemed  inclined  to  favour  no 
one  in  particular.  Sometimes  she  flattered  my  com- 
panions; but  at  last  declared  herself  against  two  of 
the  friars,  who,  losing  their  coolness  with  their  money, 
apostrophised  this  divinity  in  a  manner  not  the  most 
guarded  for  persons  of  a  religious  character,  and  rather 
adapted  for  a  tennis-court  than  a  monastery. 

The  building  occupied  by  the  Reverend  Father 
Guardian  re-echoed  with  their  exclamations,  when  I 
heard  it  strike  midnight.  Then  addressing  myself  to 
the  Superior,  I  begged  him  to  permit  me  to  retire, 
representing  to  him  that  I  had  a  great  journey  to 
perform,  and  that  I  must  be  on  the  road  again  before 
the  dawn  of  Aurora.  He  was  polite  enough  not  to 
endeavour  to  detain  me  longer.  I  took  leave  of  his 
noble  reverence,  after  having  thanked  him  for  his 
gracious  reception,  and  returned  to  my  inn,  to  the 
great  regret  of  the  two  friars,  who  would  willingly 
have  kept  me  all  night,  in  the  hope  of  regaining  some 
of  the  pistoles  which  I  had  managed  to  carry  oft'  in 
spite  of  their  ingenuity. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OF  DON  CHERUBIN^S  ARRIVAL    AT  MEXICO,   AND   IN  WHAT 

PLACE    HE   WENT    TO   LODGE HE   IS   CHARMED    WITH 

HIS  host's  wife,  NOTWITHSTANDING  HER  BLACKNESS. 

As  soon  as  I  returned  to  my  inn  I  went  to  bed  to  get 
some  repose ;  but  scarcely  had  sleep  taken  possession 


232        .     THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

of  my  senses,  ere  the  hoarse  voice  of  Master  Tobias 
awaked  me.  I  instantly  rose;  and  as  I  finished  dressing 
myself,  my  chocolate  was  brought  me;  after  which  I 
mounted  my  mule,  and  proceeded  on  my  journey. 

The  muleteer,  an  enemy  to  silence,  soon  put  an 
end  to  it.  He  sang  that  day  ballads  made  on  the 
wars  of  Grenada.  He  then  related  to  us  some  little 
tales,  the  same  perhaps  which  had  made  the  fat  friar 
of  the  Order  of  Mercy  laugh  so  much  ;  but  they  had 
not  quite  so  good  an  effect  upon  us.  On  the  contrarj', 
the/  annoyed  us  so  much  that  we  thought  the  road 
longer  than  it  really  was.  I  shall,  therefore,  spare  the 
reader  the  trouble  of  perusing  them,  as  well  as  those 
which  he  forced  upon  us  on  the  following  days.  Let 
us  hasten  to  get  to  Mexico. 

On  entering  this  celebrated  town,  I  asked  Tobias 
to  what  point  he  intended  conducting  us.  "  The 
quarter  of  t'ne  nobility,"  replied  he  ;  "to  an  inn  where 
gentlemen  who  come  from  Spain  generally  put  up, 
kept  by  a  Spaniard,  native  of  Carmona  near  Seville, 
and  who  is  called  Master  Jerom  Juan  Morales.  Find- 
ing himself  without  property  in  his  own  country,  he 
left  it  to  come  to  Mexico,  where  he  keeps  an  inn  with 
a  young  Indian  girl  whom  he  has  married,  and  who 
brings  showers  of  gold  into  his  house." — "Beware  the 
Moor,"  cried  Toston,  beginning  to  laugh.  "  Oh  !  there 
is  no  Moor  to  fear,"  replied  the  muleteer;  "Morales, 
far  from  resembling  your  host  at  Vera  Cruz,  is  by  no 
nieans  jealous,  though  he  has  one  of  the  most  enticing 
of  Indians  for  his  wife.  You  will  acknowledL;L-  when 
}-ou  see  her,  that  there  are  tawny  faces  which  may  be 
looked  on  without  horror."  . 

"On  this  footing,"  said  I  to  the  muleteer,  "his 
tavern  ought  not  to  be  ill  attended." — "  Nor  is  it  so," 
replied  Tobia.s.     "  Tliere  are  a  number  of  honest  folks 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  233 

who  go  there  every  day,  less  to  drink  tlian  to  see  the 
hostess.  She  receives  them  with  so  affable  an  air 
that  they  are  enchanted,  and  the  conversations  that 
she  has  with  them,  seldom  fail  to  be  followed  by 
presents;  a  thing  which  is  particularly  agreeable  to 
Morales,  who  is  delighted  at  possessing  a  pretty 
woman,  and  seeing  people  caress  her." 

This  discourse  struck  me,  and  made  me  wish  m\'- 
self  at  the  inn,  that  I  might  have  the  evidence  of  my 
own  eyes,  not  being  able  to  conceive  that  an  Indian 
woman  was  capable  of  fascinating  Europeans.  Master 
Tobias,  seconding  the  impatience  I  evinced  for  arriving 
at  the  house  of  Morales,  redoubled  our  pace.  He 
took  us  into  Eagle  Street,  in  which  reside  none  but 
gentlemen  and  the  officers  of  the  Chancery.  We 
alighted  at  the  door  of  a  house  which  had  for  a  sign 
a  serpent,  with  these  words  :  Al Basilico,  btiena  cavia.^ 
"Zooks!"  said  I  to  myself,  "this  sign  appears  to 
me  droll  enough ;  it  seems  as  if  it  had  been  put  up 
to  apprise  strangers  that  there  is  danger  in  going 
to  lodge  at  this  inn."  But  I  thought  the  danger 
too  agreeable  to  be  intimidated  at  it:  notwith- 
standing all  Tobias  had  said,  instead  of  fearing  the 
Basilisk,  I  exposed  myself  without  hesitation  to  her 
looks. 

I  sustained  them  at  first  with  impunity  :  nay,  morel 
her  tawny  skin  displeased  me.  Nevertheless  I  soon 
became  accustomed  to  it.  What  do  I  say  ?  She 
insensibly  fascinated  my  eyes  by  her  dignified  and 
thoroughh-  graceful  manners;  so  that  after  a  quarter 
of  an  hour's  conversation,  I  found  that  hearts  are  not 
less  in  danger  with  such  Indians,  than  with  the  most 
formidable  beauties  of  Madrid,  She  resembled  a  little 
la  Gitanilla,  of  whom  I  spoke  in  the  first  volume  of 
*  To  the  Basilisk,  good  lodging. 


234  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

these  memoirs  ;  I  say  a  little,  for  the  Indian  was  still 
more  piquant. 

It  is  true  that  when  I  saw  her  she  was  dressed  out 
in  a  fashion  which  adde'd  considerabh'  to  her  charms. 
She  had  a  petticoat  of  Chinese  linen  thickly  covered 
with  silver,  with  a  flame-coloured  ribbon,  the  ends  of 
which,  ornamented  with  gold  fringe,  came  down  very 
low  both  behind  and  before.  She  had  above  this  a 
jacket  of  the  same  stuff  with  large  sleeves,  embroidered 
with  red  silk  intermixed  with  silver,  and  fastened  with 
gold  cords.  To  this  was  added  a  girdle  of  blue  silk 
enriched  with  jewels,  a  collar  and  bracelets  of  pearls, 
with  earrings  of  fine  brilliants. 

It  is  certain  that  it  was  difficult  to  see  her  thus 
without  emotion,  or  rather  without  being  enamoured 
of  her.  I  thought  I  should  have  suffered  myself  to 
be  caught.  At  least,  for  the  first  day  I  was  entirely 
taken  up,  with  her  charms,  which  persisted  throughout 
the  night  in  presenting  themselves  to  my  mind,  but 
my  reason,  more  obstinate  than  her  image,  prevented 
me  from  \ielding  to  my  tender  emotions.  "  Well, 
friend,"  said  I  to  Toston  the  next  day,  "what  do  you 
think  of  our  hostess  ?  Has  she  a  little  reconciled  you 
to  the  Indians.''" — "Perfectly,"  replied  he;  "Tobias 
was  right  in  saying  that  I  should  change  my  mind. 
Last  night  I  fatigued  the  muscles  of  my  eyes  by 
stretching  them  in  contemplating  the  wife  of  Morales. 
What  a  sprightly  girl !  I  could  not  be  satisfied  with, 
looking  at  her,  and  she  has,  it  may  be  said,  changed 
my  taste  from  white  to  black." 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  235 


CHAPTER  V. 

DON  CHERUBIN  GOES  TO  SEE  THE  PALACE  OF  THE  VICEROY 

HE    THERE   MEETS    WITH  DON   JUAN  DE    SALZEDO, 

WHO  RECOGNISES  HIM— OF  THE  GOOD  RECEPTION 
WHICH  THE  SECRETARY  GA  VE  HIM.,  AND  OF  THE  FIRST 
CONVERSATION  THEY  HAD  TOGETHER,  BY  WHICH  DON 
CHERUBIN  WAS  EXCEEDINGLY  FLATTERED. 

I  FE[;r  SO  great  a  desire  to  see  the  town,  and,  in  par- 
ticular, the  palace  of  the  Viceroy,  that  to  have  this 
satisfaction  I  went  out  in  the  morning-  with  my  valet. 
Morales  would  absolutely  accompany  me,  to  answer, 
as  he  said,  the  questions  I  might  be  disposed  to  ask 
out  of  curiosity  ;  and  I  did  not  refuse  to  be  conducted 
by  so  good  a  guide.  He  made  me  cross  the  market, 
the  most  considerable  place  in  INlexico:  one  side  of 
this  is  built  in  arcades,  beneath  which  are  seen  shops 
filled  with  all  kinds  of  merchandise. 

As  I  was  looking  about  on  all  sides,  I  perceived  a 
large  house,  and  asked  to  whom  it  belonged.  "  It  is 
the  palace  of  the  Viceroy,"  replied  my  host;  "you 
see  it  such  as  Cortez  caused  t  be  built  on  the  ruins 
of  Montezuma's." — "  Is  it  possible,"  cried  I,  with 
astonishment,  "that  this  should  be  the  palace,  the 
magnificence  of  which  I  have  heard  so  frequently 
extolled  ?  There  are  houses  full  as  good  in  all  the 
principal  towns  in  Spain.  I  expected  to  have  seen 
a  more  sumptuous  building." — "You  are  mistaken," 
replied  Morales;  "it  is  not  this  palace  of  which  tra- 
vellers give  so  splended  a  description,  but  that  which 
was  reduced  to  ashes  ;  it  is  affirmed  that  it  might 
pass  for  the  eighth  wonder  of  the  world." 

"What  exaggeration!"  again  exclaimed  I.  "I 
have  no  objection  to  believe  that  the  walls  were,  as 
these  gentlemen   say,  composed   of  masonry  inter- 


236  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

mixed  with  jasper,  and  of  a  certain  other  black  stone, 
mottled  with  red  streaks  as  brilliant  as  rubies.  I  also 
believe  that  the  roof  might  be  inlaid  with  cedar  and 
cypress  ;  but  I  cannot  put  faith  in  the  extraordinary 
things  which  they  relate  of  Montezuma,  apparently 
to  amuse  their  readers.  They  say,  for  instance,  that 
there  were  in  his  Seraglio  more  than  two  thousand 
women,  of  whom  there  were  always  two  hundred 
pregnant  at  the  same  time." — "Mercy  upon  us!" 
cried  Toston,  bursting  with  laughter ;  "  he  had  then 
more  than  King  Solomon." — "  There  is  nothing  in 
that  which  ought  to  astonish  you,"  said  Morales, 
"since  Montezuma  might  have  three  thousand  of 
them,  having  the  privilege  of  carrying  ofif  the  daugh- 
ters of  the  principal  Indians  as  often  as  he  pleased." 

Thus  conversing,  we  approached  the  palace.  There 
were  at  the  gate  some  soldiers,  who  suffered  every 
one  to  pass  freely.  We  entered  a  spacious  square 
court,  to  cross  over  to  a  large  staircase  which  led  to 
the  Viceroy's  apartments.  We  followed  several  cava- 
liers, who  came  to  that  nobleman's  levee.  We  crossed 
with  them  three  or  four  richly  furnished  apartments, 
and  arrived  at  last  at  that  in  which  the  Count  was 
being  dressed  by  his  vaiets-de-chambre.  We  all  three 
placed  ourselves  in  a  corner,  from  which  we  could  see 
with  ease  everything  which  was  going  forward. 

I  set  myself  at  first  to  consider  the  principal  person. 
He  appeared  to  me  about  fifty  years  of  age,  and  pos- 
sessed the  Spanish  gravity  in  a  remarkable  degree. 
He  had  lank  hair,  black  and  very  thick  eyebrows, 
and  a  terrible  and  ferocious  air.  Nevertheless,  I 
remarked  one  thing  singular  enough.  W'hile  he  con- 
versed with  some  of  the  gentlemen  who  came  to  pay 
their  court  to  him,  he  smiled  occa.-^ionally ;  and  as 
often  as  that  occurred,  he  became  all  at  once  so  dif- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  237 

ferent  from  himself  that  he  appeared  as  if  he  had  two 
faces.  In  short,  while  he  was  serious  he  inspired  fear, 
and  when  he  smiled  he  appeared  perfectly  agreeable. 

The  conversation  which  he  was  holding  with  these 
gentlemen  was  interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  his  secre- 
tary, in  whom  I  recognised  my  old  friend  Don  Juan 
de  Salzedo.  He  held  in  his  hand  a  large  bundle  of 
papers ;  an  old  piece  of  policy  in  the  ministers  of 
Spain,  who,  in  order  to  appear  overloaded  with  busi- 
ness, always  showed  themselves  standing  on  end  with 
waste-paper.  The  Viceroy  had  no  sooner  seen,  than 
he  came  up  to  him.  They  both  retired  to  the  window, 
and  conversed  together  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
in  private.  During  this  time,  I  made  an  observation 
wiiich  agreed  very  well  with  what  Master  Tobias  had 
told  me,  and  which  marked  very  plainly  the  ascen- 
dency that  Salzedo  had  over  the  mind  of  the  Count: 
I  know  not  what  was  the  subject  of  conversation 
between  them,  but  it  appeared  to  me  that  his  excel- 
lency listened  to  his  secretary  with  great  complaisance, 
and  approved  of  all  he  said. 

I  was  determined  not  to  leave  the  palace  without 
saluting  Don  Juan.  With  this  design  I  placed  my- 
self in  waiting  for  him  in  an  antechamber,  very 
curious  to  see  what  reception  he  would  give  me.  I 
doubted  his  behaving  very  kindly  to  a  man  who 
would  not  at  Madrid  profit  by  his  kindness  :  nay,  I 
even  doubted  that  he  would  deign  to  recognise  me. 
Nevertheless,  he  had  no  sooner  fixed  his  eyes  on 
me,  than  making  his  way  through  the  crowd,  he 
approached,  and  addressing  me  with  a  smiling  air, 
•'  I  believe,"  said  he,  "  I  do  not  deceive  myself ;  you 
are  Don  Cherubin  de  la  Ronda."  I  answered  that  I 
was  delighted  to  fmd  he  still  recollected  me.  "  I 
have  not  banished  you  from  my  memory,"  replied  he, 


238  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

"  tantiivi  abcst !  On  your  part  you  ought  not  to 
forget  that  I  esteemed  you  in  Spain.  I  remember 
that  time  with  pleasure,  and  I  feel  at  the  sight  of 
you  all  my  former  friendship  revive." 

Touched,  penetrated  with  the  friendship  which  he 
evinced  for  me,  I  would  have  broken  out  in  grateful 
acknowledgments;  but  he  cut  me  short,  and  dravvin<5 
me  aside,  "Don  Cheruoin,"  continued  he  with  a  low 
voice,  "  let  us  have  no  compliments;  you  know  well 
that  lam  a  man  of  sincerity,  though  I  have  been  all 
my  life  at  court.  Speak  to  me  with  confidence. 
What  brings  y  u  to  Mexico  1  I  think  I  can  guess  : 
auri  sacra  fames, '\s>  it  not.-*  Avow  it  boldly.  I  am 
in  a  state  to  aid  you,"  I  again  opened  my  mouth 
to  thank  the  Sec  etary  for  his  generosity,  and  he  a 
second  time  closed  it  by  sax'ing :  "  I  cannot  stop  with 
you  any  longer.  I  have  some  pressing  affairs  which 
will  detain  me  the  rest  of  the  morning.  Come  and  see 
me  bv  and  b\',  we  will  then  converse  at  leisure.     Vale.'' 

Pronouncing  this  word  of  Latin,  which  he  accom- 
panied with  a  close  embrace,  he  quitted  me  to  resume 
his  labours,  leaving  me  transported  with  joy  at  the 
rece[)tion  he  had  just  given  me.  All  who  had  been 
witnesses  of  it,  looking  upon  Salzedo  as  a  second 
Viceroy,  envied  my  happiness,  and  judged  that  I 
must  be  a  Spaniard  of  distinction,  since  Signior  Don 
Juan  had  done  me  the  honour  to  embrace  me.  My 
host  complimented  me  on  the  subject,  and  conceived 
a  very  high  respect  for  me. 

As  to  Toston,  he  was  in  inexpressible  rapture. 
"  Sir,"  said  he,  as  we  returned  to  the  inn,  "  are  }-ou 
not  now  pleased  with  having  come  to  the  Indies? 
What  may  you  not  expect  from  the  friendship  of  Don 

Juan  .''    You  ma\-  flatter  \ourself  by  his  credit "' — ■ 

"  Hey  I  what  hopes,"  interrupted  I,  "  my  friend,  would 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  239 

you  have  me  conceive  ?  You  know  that  I  am  rich 
enough  to  be  contented  with  what  I  have." — "  No,  no," 
repUed  he,  "abundance  does  no  harm.  Besides,  con- 
sider that  you  have  a  daughter  ;  }'ou  cannot  amass 
too  much  wealth,  if  it  be  but  for  the  sake  of  leaving 
her  a  rich  heiress." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OF  THE  VISIT  WHICH  DON  CHERUBIN  MADE  IN  THE  AFTER- 
NOON TO  DON  yUAN  DESALZEDO,  AND  OF  THE  SECOND 
CONVERSATION  HE  HAD  WITH  HIM — THE  RESULT  OF 
IT — DON  CHERUBIN  DE   LA    RONDA     IS    RECEIVED    AS 

GOVERNOR    OF   DON  ALEXIS,    SON    OF    THE  VICEROY 

TO S ton's  yOV  AT  LEARNING  THIS  AGREEABLE  NEWS. 

I  DID  not  fail  to  return  to  the  palace  of  the  Viceroy 
in  the  afternoon.  I  was  shown  the  part  in  which 
Don  Juan  de  Salzedo  was  lodged,  and  went  to  pre- 
sent myself  at  the  door.  I  there  found  a  valet-de- 
chambre,  to  whom  I  had  no  sooner  told  my  name, 
than  he  said  to  me,  with  a  respectful  air,  "  Signior, 
my  master  is  waiting  for  you  in  his  closet,  whither  I 
will  conduct  you."  At  the  same  time,  he  made  me 
cross  five  or  six  rooms  at  least,  each  one  more  sump- 
tuous than  another ;  for  the  Secretary's  lodging  was  as 
richly  furnished  as  the  Vicero}''s,  and  perhaps  even 
more  so.  There  were  an  infinite  number  of  paintings 
by  the  best  masters  in  Italy,  with  some  of  the  finest 
works  of  Mechoacan  feathers  and  of  rabbits'  skins. 

At  last  my  guide  opened  the  door  of  a  closet,  in 
which  was  Don  Juan,  alone,  and  sitting  on  a  sofa  of 
Chinese  silk.  As  soon  as  he  saw  he  rose  to  embrace 
me,  saying:  "My  dear  Don  Cherubin,  I  was  waiting 
for  you  with  impatience,  to  know  what  had  been  the 
means  of  bringing  \ou  into  this  countr}',  and  to 
assure  you  again  that  if  you  be  badly  off  in  your 


240  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

affairs,  you  shall  not  be  so  long.  In  a  word,  I  take 
upon  myself  to  make  }-our  lot  happy  in  Mexico." — 
"  I  am,"  I  replied,  "  as  sensible  as  I  ought  to  be  of 
\'Our  kindness;  but  it  would  be  only  abusing  it  if  I 
were  to  tell  you  that  the  desire  of  enriching  myself 
had  brought  me  to  Mexico,  No,  sir !  thougli  I  have 
but  a  moderate  fortune,  I  am  satisfied  with  it;  and 
the  desire  of  seeing  New  Spain  has  alone  induced  me 
tc  undertake  this  journey." 

"  Your  sentiments  are  rather  too  philosophical," 
replied  Don  Juan.  "  To  have  but  that  which  is  pre- 
cisely necessary  to  enable  us  to  live,  is  not  to  be 
exact!}'  at  one's  ease,  and  being  confined  to  a  certain 
expenditure  is  sad  for  a  man  of  the  world,  however 
little  he  ma}-  be  inclined  to  generosity.  Attend  to 
my  advice ;  preserve  what  yoa  have,  and  do  not 
refuse  the  new  favours  which  fortune  is  preparing  to 
shower  upon  }'ou  through  my  ministry.  An  idea  has 
come  into  my  head,"  added  he,  "which  may  be  useful 

to  you.     I  will   place  you " — "  Do  not  propose 

to  me,"  interrupted  I,  abruptly  enough,  "  a  place  in 
any  of  }our  ofiices."  My  vivacity  made  Salzedo 
laugh,  "  No,  no,"  replied  he,  "  I  know  that  you  do 
not  like  a  secretary's  post.  I  design  you  another, 
which  will  suit  you  better ;  that  of  governor  to  the 
young  Don  Alexis,  the  onl}-  son  of  the  Viceroy. 
Leave  me  to  manage  it  for  you.  I  will  this  day 
speak  to  his  Excellenc}',  and  I  dare  answer  for  the 
success  of  my  application." 

As  I  had  accustomed  m}'self  to  a  life  of  independ- 
ence, and  saw  mj'self  about  to  pass  from  that  into 
the  miserable  occupation  of  a  child's  governor,  I  was 
not  dazzled  with  Salzedo's  project.  I  was  even  going 
to  tell  him  candidly  my  sentiments  on  the  subject ; 
but  what  he  added  kept  me  silent,  and   appeared 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  241 

deserving  of  attention.  "  Do  not  imagine/'  said  he, 
"  that  I  have  made  you  a  bad  offer.  I  know  as  well 
as  yourself  that  at  Madrid,  and  in  the  other  towns  of 
Spain,  the  office  of  governor  is  no  very  pleasing  one, 
and  that  those  gentlemen  who  fill  it  get  barely  enough 
to  support  themselves,  particularly  when  they  have 
the  folly  to  dress  themselves  splendidly.  God  forbid 
that  I  should  be  tempted  to  procure  you  a  similar 
establishment  here  !  That  would  be  rendering  you 
no  great  service.  Rut  deign  to  hear  me  out.  I 
design,  in  placing  \-ou  over  the  conduct  of  Don  Alexis, 
to  establish  you  on  another  footing  at  the  Viceroy's. 
I  will  have  them  look  upon  you  as  a  Mentor,  and 
treat  you  with  distinction.  In  a  word,  you  will  there 
be  considered,  beloved,  respected  ;  and  you  will  have 
a  considerable  salary,  without  counting  the  profits 
which  you  will  obtain  every  year  through  my  means." 

The  Secretary  Salzedo  said  so  much  to  me  about 
it,  that  he  prevailed  on  me.  "  I  can  no  longer,"  said 
I,  "  hold  out  against  such  flattering  promises ;  and 
what  I  am  pleased  with  beyond  all  the  rest  is  to  see 
you  take  so  great  an  interest  in  my  fortune.  The 
only  question  is  now  whether  I  shall  have  the  good 
Juck  to  please  his  Excellency." — "  That  is  a  point  on 
which  I  am  under  no  apprehension,"  interrupted  Don 
Juan.  "The  description  that  I  shall  give  him  of  you 
will  not  fail  to  prepossess  him  in  your  favour,  and 
your  appearance  will  spoil  nothing.  Return,"  added 
he,  "  return  hither  to-morrow,  and  I  will  present  you 
to  his  Excellency  after  his  dinner." 

Such  was  the  second  conversation  I  had  with 
my  friend  Salzedo,  who  said  to  me  the  following 
day  as  soon  as  I  approached  him  :  "Your  business  is 
done ;  you  are  governor  of  Don  Alexis.  The  Count 
de  Gelves   assigns   you    apartments   in   the    palace^ 

Q 


242  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  , 

with  twelve  hundred  pistoles  a  year  for  your  salary. 
Besides  this,  when  you  desire  to  go  out  to  pay  a 
visit,  or  for  exercise,  there  will  be  always  two  lackeys 
and  a  carriage  at  your  disposal." 

"Truly,  Signior  Don  Juan,"  cried  I,  "I  am  con- 
founded by  the  marks  of  friendship  which  you  are 
giving  me." — "Oh!  that  is  not  all,"  replied  he;  "I 
should  not  be  satisfied  with  myself  if  I  confined  my 
desire  of  obliging  you  to  that.  I  calculate  on  adding 
every  year  to  your  salary  two  thousand  crowns  at 
least,  which  will  result  from  the  commerce  carried 
on  by  his  Excellency  and  myself,  both  with  Spain 
and  the  Philippine  Islands,  and  in  which  I  will  give 
you  a  share." — "Ah!  this  is  too  much,"  said  I. 
"What  have  I  done  to  merit  so  many  favours,  and 
how  can  I  repay,  them?" — "By  esteeming  me  as 
much  as  I  esteem  you,"  replied  he;  "that  is  all  I 
exact  from  your  gratitude.  But,"  added  he,  changing 
the  discourse,  "  let  us  go  and  see  my  lord.  He  is  in 
his  closet,  where  he  must  by  this  time  have  finished 
his  siesta.     Let  us  seize  the  opportunity." 

He  conducted  me  directly  as  far  as  the  door,  and 
desired  me  to  wait  there  a  moment.  He  then  went 
alone  into  the  closet,  where  he  remained  nearly  a 
quarter  of  an  hour;  then  returning  to  me,  he  took 
me  by  the  hand,  and  introduced  me. .  The  Viceroy 
ran  me  over  with  his  exe  from  head  to  foot,  and 
the  coup  d'ceil  was  favourable.  "I  think,"  said  his 
Excellency,  with  an  air  of  condescension,  "that  Sal- 
zedo  has  not  gone  beyond  the  truth  with  me :  you 
have  a  countenance  which  confirms  the  eulogism  he 
has  passed  upon  you.  I  confide  Don  Alexis  to  your 
care,  confidemt  tiiat  he  cannot  be  in  better  hands. 
In  regard  to  your  into  ests,  Don  Juan  has  of  course 
made  known   to   )'ou    my  intentions,  and  on   what 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  243 

footing  I  design  you  to  be  in  my  establishment."  I 
replied,  "that  I  would  make  it  my  whole  study  to 
render  myself  worthy  of  the  employment  with  which 
he  was  disposed  to  honour  me," 

I  retired  upon  this  with  my  Mecaenas,  who  carried 
me  to  Don  Alexis,  whom  we  found  in  his  apartment 
composing  a  theme  under  the  eyes  of  his  tutor,  an 
old  Gallician  priest,  who  had,  as  they  say,  burned 
the  broom.  "  My  young  lord,"  said  Salzedo  to  Don 
Alexis,  "  here  is  the  governor  whom  his  Excellency 
has  chosen  to  introduce  you  into  the  world,  and  form 
Aour  mind  to  virtue.  I  can  assure  you  that  you  will 
be  satisfied  with  him,  and  I  hope  he  will  likewise  be 
so  with  you."  Don  Alexis  only  replied  by  staring 
at  me  with  open  eyes.  I  addressed  him  in  order  to 
induce  him  to  speak,  and  to  enable  me  to  judge  of 
his  mind,  which  appeared  absorbed  in  the  matter  in 
which  he  was  engaged.  While  I  conversed  with 
him,  his  preceptor,  who  was  a  man  bristling  with 
Latin,  quoted  passages  from  Virgil  and  Horace;  and 
Don  Juan,  who  desired  nothing  better  than  to  do 
the  same  thing,  overwhelmed  us  in  his  turn  with 
Latin  sentences.  After  they  had  thus  amused  them- 
selves to  their  heart's  content,  Salzedo  said  :  "  Signior 
Don  Cherubin,  return  to  your  inn,  and  prepare  your- 
self for  coming  hither  to-morrow  to  take  possession 
of  your  new  post.  You  will  find  here  a  lodging 
befitting  the  place  which  you  are  to  hold," 

I  immediately  made  my  bow  to  the  company,  and 
returned  to  the  Basilisk,  where  I  found  my  valet 
waiting  with  the  utmost  impatience  to  learn  the 
success  of  my  visit.  "  Toston/'  said  I,  ''  we  must  go 
and  reside  at  the  Viceroy's  palace.  I  am  governor 
to  Don  Alexis."  I  had  no  sooiier  pronounced  these 
words,  than,  abandoning  himself  to  an  immoderate 


244  THE'BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  i 

joy,  he  began  to  jump  about  like  a  madman.  When 
he  had  tired  himself,  he  stopped  to  take  breath. 
"  Here  we  are  then,"  said  he,  "thank  God,  in  traio, 
you  of  enlarging  your  fortune,  and  I  of  commencing- 
mine  ;  for  I  calculate  that  one  will  not  go  without 
the  other." — "You  are  right,  friend,"  replied  I;  "if  I 
acquire  riches  in  this  country,  I  assure  you  that  I 
will  give  you  a  share  of  them."  This  promise  revived 
in  Toston  the  humour  of  jumping. 

While  he  was  cutting  fresh  capers.  Morales,  who 
came  in,  demanded  why  he  was  so  exceedingly  re- 
joiced. I  told  him  the  cause,  and  gave  him  a  circum- 
stantial detail  of  the  advantages  attached  to  my 
employment.  My  host  was  dazzled  by  this ;  and, 
already  looking  on  me  as  a  great  and  powerful  lord, 
begged  me  to  grant  him  my  protection.  The  most 
amusing  part  of  the  business  was,  that  I  accorded  it 
to  him  with  a  serious  air,  making  him  sincere  pro- 
testations of  serving  him  whenever  I  should  find  the 
opportunity.  On  the  following  day,  after  having 
charged  Toston  with  the  care  of  having  my  effects 
conveyed  to  my  new  dwelling,  I  bid  adieu  to  my 
beautiful  hostess,  who  appeared  to  me  rather  mortified 
at  our  separation,  though  she  had  no  great  reason  to 
be  so,  as  she  only  lost  in  me  a  man  who  refused  to 
sacrifice  to  her  charms. 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

DOAT  CHERUBINf  GOVERNOR  OF  DON  ALEXIS  DE  GELVESy 
ONLY  SON  OF  THE  VICEROY,  PAYS  A  VISIT  TO  THE 
VICE-QUEEN — HIS  CONVERSATION  WITH  THE  TUTOR 
OF  DON  ALEXIS CHARACTER  OF  THE  LATTER. 

I  RETURNED  to  the  palace,  where  I  went  in  the  first 
place  to  see  Salzedo,  who,  to  instal  me  in   my  new 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  245 

post,  took  me  himself  to  my  lodging,  which  consisted 
of  three  small  rooms  on  the  same  floor,  well  furnished, 
with  a  wardrobe  where  there  was  a  bed  for  my  valet. 
"You  will  not  be  badly  lodged,  as  you  perceive,"  said 
Don  Juan  ;  "and  you  can  dine  in  private  with  Doctor 
Gaspard  de  Aldagna,  preceptor  of  Don  Alexis,  if  that 
be  more  agreeable  to  you  than  to  be  served  alone  in 
your  apartment.  This  doctor  is  a  very  honest  eccle- 
siastic, of  a  very  good  disposition,  who  does  not  want 
for  wit,  and  who  talks  Latin  admirably."  I  replied, 
"that  I  should  be  happy  to  dine  and  sup  with  such  a 
colleague,"and  the  arrangement  was  made  accordingly. 

The  first  step  which  I  considered  I  ought  to  take  in 
the  discharge  of  my  duty,  was  that  of  paying  my 
respects  to  the  Vice-Queen.  Salzedo  conducted  me 
to  her.  I  expected  a  reception  full  of  hauglitiness, 
imagining  that  the  Countess  was  a  proud  woman,  and 
intoxicated  with  her  grandeur.  Not  at  all :  the  good 
lady,  on  the  contrary,  received  me  graciously,  and 
the  more  particularly  so  as  Don  Juan  had  previously 
made  her  a  magnificent  eulogium  on  my  merit.  She 
asked  me  several  questions,  in  order  to  judge  by  my 
replies  if  my  understanding  had  not  been  too  highly 
represented  to  her  ;  but  happily  for  me,  she  was  so 
well  satisfied  with  our  conversation,  that  she  said  to 
Salzedo  in  my  presence:  "I  owe  you  thanks,  Don 
Juan,  for  having  made  such  a  choice.  This  gentleman 
appears  to  me  qualified  for  bringing  up  a  young 
nobleman.  Such  is  the  person  required  for  forming 
the  manners  of  my  son,  who,  I  confess,  has  but  little 
disposition  for  becoming  a  perfect  cavalier." — "That 
will  come  in  time,  madam,"  said  Don  Juan;  "Don 
Alexis  has  a  slow  genius,  which  will  develop  itself  by 
degrees  with  the  aid  of  a  good  governor." 

After  having  had  this  conversation  with  the  Vice- 


2.\r,  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

Queen,  I  went  to  see  my  pupil,  with  whom  I  had  one 
which  afflicted  me.  I  found  I  had  to  do  with  a  scholar 
wh(^  was  preparing  me  abundance  of  employment, 
with  a  most  heavy  subject,  with  an  automaton.  I 
expressed  my  chagrin  on  this  subject  to  Doctor  Gas- 
pare!, who,  I  thought,  ougiit  not  to  have  had  less  than 
myself;  however,  he  appeared  to  have  made  up  his 
mind  upon  it.  "  I  agree  with  }'ou,"  replied  he,  "that 
it  is  disa;_:reeable  both  for  you  and  for  me  to  have  an 
imbecile  scholar;  for  Don  Alexis  is  in  reality  such, 
lie  is  already  in  his  fifteenth  year,  and  he  is  not 
capable  of  making  the  most  simple  version,  though 
for  eighteen  months  that  I  have  been  his  master,  I 
have  toiled  myself  to  death  to  teach  him  the  Latin 
language.  Sometimes,  tired  of  sowing  upon  sand,  I 
have  lost  patience,  and  begged  my  dismissal  from  the 
Count  ;  but  he  would  never  grant  it  to  me.  '  Signior 
Doctor,'  he  alwa}'s  said,  '  pray  do  not  abandon  my 
son.  I  know  very  well  it  is  not  your  fault,  if  hitherto 
he  has  not  profited  by  your  lessons.  No  matter ! 
continue.  By  hearing  the  same  things  often  repeated, 
he  ma\' retain  some,  and  that  will  be  enough  for  him, 
for  I  do  not  pretend  to  make  him  a  man  of  learning.' 
To  obey  his  Excellency,  therefore,"  pursued  the 
doctor,  "  J  remain,  and  still-  go  on  in  my  old  wa}\  I 
give  my  little  lord  exercises  and  versions,  which  he 
gets  through  as  it  pleases  God. 

"  In  the  meantime  I  live  well  in  the  palace.  My 
salary,  which  is  tolerably  good,  is  regularly  paid,  and 
I  shall  perhaps  in  the  end  get  hold  of  some  good 
benefice;  for  when  in  the  service  of  the  great,  one  is 
not  always  ill  recompensed.  Imitate  me,  therefore, 
Don  Cherubin.  Hey  !  Why  take  things  so  much 
to  heart  .^  Conduct  young  Alexis  into  the  world; 
reprove  him   when  he  is  guilty  of  any  reprehensible 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  247 

action,  or  says  any  foolish  thing,  and  laugh  at  the 
rest.  If  our  pupil  be  naturally  a  stupid  animal,  we 
cannot  help  it.  Look  at  his  other  masters;  are  they 
more  forward  than  ourselves?  No,  truly.  One 
cannot  teach  him  music,  nor  the  other  the  principles 
of  dancing,  though  they  have  been  fifteen  months 
instructing  him.  Do  you  think  that  grieves  tliem  } 
Not  at  all.  They  give  the  fool  their  lessons  at  all 
hazards,  and  make  a  milch-cow  of  him." 

It  was  thus  that  the  Gallician  exhorted  me  to  con- 
sole myself  for  the  stupidity  of  Don  Alexis,  and  I 
conceived  that  he  was  in  the  right.  I  began,  there- 
fore, to  discharge  my  duty  as  best  I  could.  I  set 
myself  before  all  things  to  gain  the  friendship  of  my 
httle  man  by  mild  and  insinuating  behaviour,  and  in 
a  few  days  succeeded  in  my  endeavour.  It  is  true 
that  I  only  conversed  with  him  in  a  manner  more 
calculated  to  divert  than  instruct  him,  for  fear  of 
disgusting  him  by  dogmatising. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HE  GOES  OUT  WITH  HJS  PUPIL   TO   THE  FIELD  CALLED   THE 
ALAMEDA,   WHICH  IS  THE  PRINCIPAL    PROMENADE  AT 

MEXICO OF    THE   OBSERVATIONS    HE    MADE     I  HERE, 

AND     THE    EXTREME    ASTONISHMENT    THEY    CAUSED 
HIM TRAGICAL  EVENT  OF  WHICH  HE  IS  WITNESS. 

I  PASSED  three  days  in  getting  myself  properly 
settled,  without  going  out  of  the  palace ;  but  on  the 
fourth,  towards  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  I  got  into 
a  magnificent  carriage  with  Don  Alexis,  and  we  drove 
towards  the  field  of  the  Alameda,  as  I  felt  a  great 
pleasure  in  seeing  it,  after  the  description  that  Master 
Tobias,  the  muleteer,  had  given  me  of  it. 

This  field  is  of  vast  extent.     It  contains  a  great 


248  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

number  of  alle\'s  bordered  with  trees,  where  one 
may  walk  without  being  incommoded  by  the  heat 
of  the  sun.  The  Zocodover  of  Toledo,  and  even 
the  Prado  of  Madrid,  do  not  come  near  this  pro- 
menade, which  presents  an  enchanting  spectacle  to 
the  c\'e.  One  may  see  there  as  many  as  two  thousand 
carriages,  filled  with  gentlemen,  citizens  and  people 
of  all  conditions.  The  gentry,  those  principally 
who  are  said  to  be  descendants  of  the  captains  of 
Cortez,  have  for  the  most  part  superb  equipages,  and 
are  followed  by  Moorish  slaves  in  rich  liveries,  with 
silk  stockings,  and  wearing  roses  of  precious  stones 
on  their  shoes.  Besides  this,  these  slaves  are  all 
armed  ;  so  that  their  proud  masters  may  boast  of 
having  guards  like  kings. 

The  ladies  do  not  ride  with  less  pomp  than  the 
gentlemen.  By  the  sides  of  their  carriages  they  ar- 
range their  suites,  which  are  composed  of  those  genteel 
black  girls  whom  I  formerly  mentioned,  and  who  are 
so  adorned  that  they  frequently  rob  their  mistresses 
of  the  glances  of  the  pien.  These,  notwithstanding, 
omit  nothing  to  render  themselves  charming.  All  that 
can  be  done  by  art  is  exerted  in  their  dress,  and  pre- 
cious stones  are  employed  in  it  in  the  most  coquettish 
taste  of  America. 

On  whatever  side  I  turned  my  eyes,  I  saw  nothing 
but  gold  and  diamonds;  which  produced  an  effect  so 
advantageous  for  the  women,  that  they  all  appeared 
to  me,  one  more  handsome  than  another.  "  Where 
am  I  then  ?  "  said  I  to  myself.  "  At  seeing  so  many 
ravishing  objects,  little  is  wanting  to  believe  one's  self 
in  Mahomet's  paradise." 

I  was,  in  fact,  dazzled  b\'  the  brilliant  beauty  which 
offered  itself  to  my  view  on  all  sides;  but  no  one  of 
these  ladies  made  more  impression  on  me  than  another: 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  249 

for  the  moment  that  I  remarked  one  who  struck  me, 
there  passed  another  who  attracted  my  attention  to 
herself;  so  that  I  beheld  with  impunity  a  number  of 
faces,  which  I  should  have  found  very  formidable  had 
I  seen  them  singh'. 

The  pleasure  which  I  felt  in  looking  to  the  right 
and  left  was  disturbed  by  an  event  which  is  but  too 
common  in  this  promenade,  where  jealous  lovers,  who 
cannot  endure  that  their  rivals  should  speak  to  their 
mistresses,  nor  even  approach  them  tco  closely,  often 
dart  upon  them  sword  or  poniard  in  hand.  I  saw  at 
two  or  three  hundred  yards  from  me,  at  the  side  of  a 
carriage,  two  cavaliers  who  were  fighting  wnth  so  much 
fury  that  one  of  them  speedily  fell  to  the  ground.  In 
a  moment  twenty  swords  were  drawn,  some  to  avenge 
the  vanquished,  and  others  to  defend  the  victor.  The 
friends  of  the  latter  were  the  strongest ;  they  delivered 
him  from  the  hands  of  his  enemies,  and  carried  him  to 
the  nearest  church,  where  he  remained  in  safety,  the 
immunity  of  churches  being  inviolable  in  this  country. 
Whatever  crime  a  man  n»ay  have  committed,  if  he  be 
fortunate  enough  to  save  himself  in  one  of  these  sacred 
asylums,  he  escapes  the  rigour  of  the  laws,  without 
even  the  Viceroy  himself  having  the  power  to  force 
him  from  it,  to  deliver  him  up  to  justice. 

After  having  been  witness  of  this  melancholy  adven- 
ture, I  continued  to  ride  about  and  view  the  ladies, 
until  the  night  concealed  them  from  my  view.  I 
then  returned  with  my  pupil  to  the  palace,  my  mind 
much  occupied  with  what  I  had  seen,  and  unable  suffi- 
ciently to  admire  the  magniricence  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Mexico.  When  I  drew  a  parallel  between  them 
and  those  of  Madrid,  the  latter  did  not  gain  by  the 
comparison. 


250  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.' 

CHAPTER  IX. 

HOIV  THE  GENIUS  OF  DON  ALFXIS  WAS  BRIGHTENED THE 

CONVERSATION     WHICH    DON    CHERUB  IN     HAD      WITH 

HIS    VALET WHAT    HE    LEARNS    FROM     HIS      VALET 

ASTONISHES  HIM PRUDENT  ADVICE  WHICH  HE  GIVES 

TO    TOSrON THE    LATTER    IS    INCLINED     TO     PROFIT 

BY  IT. 

If  I  had  a  scholar  who  was  stupid,  in  recompense  he 
was  gentle  and  obedient.  If  he  did  not  well  that 
which  I  wished  him,  he  at  least  tried  to  do  it :  his 
goodwill  supplied  .by  degrees  the  talents  of  which 
he  was  deficient.  At  the  end  of  nine  or  ten  months 
(what  perfectly  astonished  myself)  he  appeared  quite 
another  thing  in  the  eyes  of  the  Count  his  father,  who 
complimented  me  upon  his  improvement,  as  did  also 
the  Countess.  ^*  Made  aiiiino"  said  my  friend  the 
Secretary  to  me  one  morning;  "they  are  well  satisfied 
with  you.  Perge,  and  be  not  in  pain  for  the  rest : 
that  is  my  business," 

Flattered  with  so  fortunate  a  commencement,  I 
attended  more  closely  than  I  had  hitherto  done  to 
my  pupil ;  and  each  of  his  other  masters  seconding 
my  endeavours,  we  made  of  him,  in  less  than  two 
years,  a  cavalier  as  good  as  most  others.  He  knew 
how  to  present  himself  with  a  good  grace,  and  to 
sustain  a  conversation  in  the  style  of  the  best  com- 
pany at  Mexico.  It  was  an  absolute  metamorphosis, 
and  did  me  peculiar  honour,  as  also  Doctor  Gaspard, 
who  by  dint  of  repeating  the  same  things  over  and 
over  to  Don  Alexis,  had  at  last  succeeded  in  putting 
a  little  Latin  into  his  head. 

We  were  all  proud  of  the  happy  result  of  our 
labours.  Nevertheless,  whatever  cause  we  might 
ha\'e  to  applaud  ourselves  for  having  polished  our 
icholar,  I  know  not  whether  Toston  had  not  a  greater 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  251 

share  in  the  work  than  we.  He  at  least  contributed 
to  it  as  much  :  a  fact  which  he  revealed  to  me  one 
day,  when  I  was  boasting  in  liis  presence  of  having 
made  my  pupil  a  smart  youth.  "'Sir,"  said  he,  with 
an  arch  smile,  "you  undoubtedly  deserve  praise,  and 
I  should  be  very  much  in  the  wrong  were  I  to  refuse 
it  to  you  ;  but  permit  me,  if  you  please,  to  say  that 
you  and  Doctor  Gaspard  ought  not  to  take  all  the 
merit  to  ^-ourselves  since  I  have  laboured  at  the 
same  work  ;  or  rather,  know  that  it  is  I  who  have 
brightened  this  young  lord:  or  indeed,  if  }'Ou  will,  it 
is  a  miracle  of  love." 

"Speak  to  me,"  said  I,  "more  clearly;  explain  the 
whole." — "That,"  said  he,  "is  what  I  am  about  to  do 
in  a  few  words.  There  is,  among  the  attendants  of 
the  Vice-Queen,  a  Creole  of  about  seventeen,  who  is 
possessed  of  wit  and  beauty.  This  little  person  is 
the  author  of  the  change  of  which  you  attribute  to 
yourselves  the  glorw" 

"What  sa\'est  thou,  Toston .? "  cried  T;  "thou 
announcest  to  me  a  piece  of  information  which 
astonishes  me  exceedingly.  How  did  Don  Alexis 
become  enamoured  of  tliis  Creole  }  Has  he  made 
known  to  her  his  sentiments.''  How,  in  short,  does 
he  stand  with  her.?" — "At  the  tail  of  the  ballad," 
replied  my  valet.  "  I  cannot  get  over  my  surprise," 
replied  I  hastily ;  "  recount  to  me,  I  pray  thee,  the 
means  by  which  this  intrigue  has  been  carried  on." 
— "  I  will  faithfully  detail  it,"  replied  he  ;  "  do  me  the 
honour  to  attend. 

"You  know  that  I  pay  assiduous  court  to  Don 
Alexis,  and  that  we  live  together  very  familiarly.  I 
am  not  less  his  valct-dc-cltanibre  than  yours,  and 
possess  his  confidence.  Blandina,  the  most' lovely  of 
the  attendants  of  the  Vice-Queen,  had  charmed  him. 


252  THE'BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

He  made  me  the  confident  of  his  love,  and  prayea 
me  to  exert  myself  to  procure  him  private  interviews 
with  this  nymph  ;  which  I  effect  at  night  so  happily, 
that  no  one  has  the  least  suspicion  of  it.  This  is 
what  I  had  to  inform  you.  Judge  now  whether  these 
nocturnal  interviews,  or  your  lessons,  have  brightened 
up  the  wits  of  our  young  lord." 

Thus  spoke  the  officious  and  secret  agent  of 
Don  Alexis;  iifter  which  I  said,  shaking  my  head: 
"  Master  Toston,  if  thou  thinkest  to  have  my  applause 
for  haviiit^  thus  contributed  to  the  change  in  my 
pupil,  thou  art  in  error.  God  forbid  that  I  should 
approve  the  culpable  method  thou  hast  used  to  rid 
him  of  his  inabecility!  Better  he  had  still  continued 
n  it.  Besides,  art  thou  well  assured  that  thou  will 
not  repent  of  having  been  so  obliging  ?  Thou  knowest 
the  severity  of  the  Viceroy.  He  will  not  perhaps  feel 
nmch  indebted  to  thee  for  such  services  rendered  to 
his  son,  if,  unfortunately  for  thee,  they  should  come 
to  his  knowledge  ;  nor  may  the  Countess  think  it 
altogether  right  that  thou  shouldest  corrupt  her 
maids.  In  short,  my  friend,  thou  art  playing  a  game 
which  ma)^  get  thyself  shut  up  in  a  dungeon  ;  and  me 
turned  out  of  doors,  to  teach  me  to  chose  valets  of  a  less 
vicious  character.     See  to  what  thou  exposest  us  both." 

Toston  allowed  me  to  talk  as  long  as  I  liked  with- 
out interrupting  me  ;  but  instead  of  being  moved  at 
what  I  said  to  him,  he  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  my  dis- 
course ;  and  when  I  had  concluded,  answered  me, 
smiling,  in  the  following  terms :  "  Nothing  is  more 
reasonable  than  what  you  have  been  representing  to 
me.  You  are  a  wise  and  prudent  man.  But  you 
know  not  all.  The  Countess  is  not  ignorant  of  what 
is  going  forward.  I  will  tell  you, — it  is  by  her  orders 
that  I  conduct  this  intrigue." 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  253 

"What  do  I  hear?"  cried  I.  "Dost  thou  not 
deceive  me?  May  I  place  faith  in  thy  report?" — 
''Doubt  it  not,  sir,"  said  he;  "it  is  a  certain  fact  If 
a  he  sometimes  escape  me,  at  least  it  is  not  with  }ou. 
The  Vice-Queen,"  he  continued,  "having  one  day 
sent  for  me,  said  to  me  in  private:  '  My  friend,  I  would 
employ  thy  ministry;  but  be  discreet.  Don  Alexis 
has  no  longer  the  air  of  stupidity  which  he  formerly 
had.  His  mind  is  brightening  every  day.  There 
wants  nothing  to  finish  him  but  a  little  female  con- 
versation. An  idea  has  come  into  my  head.  Do 
thou  enable  him  to  make  a  secret  acquaintance  with 
Blandina,  who  is  the  prettiest  and  most  lively  of 
my  attendants.  She  will  not  fail  to  inspire  him  with 
love,  and  that  love  will  produce  good  effects  :  it  will 
perfect  the  cavalier,  and  prevent  him  from  attaching 
himself,  like  his  father,  to  the  blacks;  a  detestable 
taste,  from  which  I  would  preserve  my  son,  and  for 
which  I  cannot  pardon  Spaniards.  For  the  rest,' 
added  the  Countess,  assuming  an  air  of  reserve,  'if  I 
charge  thee  with  this  commission,  which  perhaps 
appears  a  little  delicate,  it  is  because  I  am  persuaded 
that  Blandina  runs  no  risk:  she  has  prudence,  and 
my  son  is  too  timid  to  alarm  her  virtue.' 

"I  would  not  tell  the  Countess,'  continued  Toston, 
"that  I  had  been  beforehand  with  her,  and  that  the 
parties  alreadx',  through  my  interference,  lived  in  the 
softest  union.  To  give  her  the  honour  of  it,  I  pro- 
mised to  execute  her  project,  as  if  it  had  not  been 
already  done.  This  is  what  you  were  ignorant  of," 
continued  he:  "now  you  need  no  longer  tremble  either 
for  yourself  or  me." — "  That  does  not  set  me  at  ease," 
said  I;  "if  the  Vicero)-  c(Miie  to  know  that  thou  con- 
trivest  .ctc-a-tctcs  between  his  son  and  Blandina,  a 
melanchcjly  salary  may  probably  be   the   reward   of 


254  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

thy  services;  and  the  Vice-Queen,  although  thy  ac- 
comphce,  will  leave  thee  in  the  net  instead  of  drawing 
thee  out  of  it.  Make  thou  thy  own  reflections  on  the 
matter." 

The  advice  appeared  of  importance  to  my  gentle- 
man intriguer,  who,  in  order  to  profit  by  it,  resolved 
to  take  his  measures  so  well,  that  he  might  continue 
with  impunity  to  serve  the  passion  of  Don  Alexis; 
which,  in  effect,  he  did  with  so  much  good  fortune 
and  address,  that  during  two  entire  years  no  person 
in  the  palace  had  any  knowledge  of  it. 


CHAPTER  X. 

DON  CHERUBIN  DE  LA  RONDA  ROLLS  IN  GOLD  AND  SILVRi 
— HE     EXPENDS    A     GREAT    PORTION    IN     PARTIES    OF 

PLEASURE  WITH  LADIES  OF   HIS    ACQUAINTANCE HE 

GOES     TO    SEE   A    PLAY WHAT    KIND    OF   PIECE    THIS 

WAS,  AND  THE  iMPRESSION   IT  MADE  UPON  HIM. 

On  the  Other  hand,  the  Count  de  Gelves,  delighted  with 
the  polished  exterior  of  his  son,  and  imagining  that  it 
was  my  work,  did  not  know  how  to  repay  me.  He  did 
not  content  himself,  avaricious  as  he  was,  with  having 
my  salary  exactly  paid,  but  loaded  roe  with  presents. 
Add  to  this,  that  Salzedo  was  very  punctual  in  keep- 
ing the  promises  he  had  made  to  me  ;  so  that  I  began 
to  roll  in  gold.  Had  I  had  ever  so  little  disposition 
to  avarice,  I  should  unquestionably  have  become  a 
miser  in  so  lucrative  a  post  :  but  this  was  not  my 
vice  ;  and  far  from  hoarding  up,  I  spent  my  money 
as  I  gained  it. 

I  often  made  parties  of  pleasure,  and  gave  enter- 
tainments to  ladies  with  whom  I  was  acquainted.  I 
used  to  go  to  their  houses  to  pass  the  afternoon  in 
play;  which  is  carried  on  so  frcel}'  in  Mexico,  that  it 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  255 

is  the  principal  occupation  of  the  women.  I  some- 
times took  them  to  the  theatre,  the  actors  of  which 
were  supported  b}'  the  Viceroy,  or,  more  properly 
speaking,  by  the  public;  for  his  Excellency  allowed 
them  such  a  trifling  pension  that  they  could  not 
subsist  on  it.  Their  company,  which  was  composed 
of  Mexicans,  was  tolerably  good.  There  were  among 
them  five  or  six  excellent  actors,  a  sufficient  eulogium 
of  a  comic  troop,  which  commonly  has  not  three  who 
deserve  to  be  applauded. 

One  day,  when  these  actors  represented  for  the 
third  time  a  new  play  which  had  been  very  well 
received,  I  went  to  see  it  with  Don  Juan  and-  two 
ladies  of  his  acquaintance.  It  was  the  production  of 
a  celebrated  author.  It  was  much  praised  about 
town,  and  was  entitled  La  Nobia  Son-acada.*  I 
suffered  myself  to  be  carried  thither  out  of  complais- 
ance, or  rather  in  spite  of  myself,  not  feeling  much 
curiosity  to  see  a  piece  which  promised  me  more 
pain  than  pleasure.  The  connection  which  the  title 
had  with  my  own  adventure  frightened  me,  and  I 
doubted  not  that  there  was  something  in  the  comedy 
of  a  nature  to  cause  a  laugh  at  m}'  expense. 

Nevertheless,  though  struck  with  so  reasonable  a 
fear,  I  mixed  among  the  spectators,  resolved,  since 
my  story  was  not  known,  to  put  the  best  face  on  the 
matter,  and  even  applaud  the  first  strokes  of  raillery 
which  I  should  hear  uttered  against  unlucky  husbands; 
but  I  was  not  under  the  necessity  of  going  so  far  as 
that,  since,  though  it  was  a  comed)',  there  was  not  a 
single  word  throughout  calculated  to  excite  laughter. 
The  author  was  not  one  of  those  who  take  Plautus 
and  Terence  for  their  models;  but,  on  the  contrar\', 
sworn  enemy  to  mirth  and  pleasantry,  he  admitted 
*  The  seduced  bride. 


256  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

only  sighs  and  tears  in  his  pieces,  which  he  farcified 
with  sentences  and  tirades  of  morality  in  rhyme,  to 
the  infinite  amusement  of  the  gentleman  Americans. 

But  if  my  ears  were  not  struck  with  any  raillery 
which  I  could  apply  to  myself,  I  was  not  therefore 
let  off  at  a  cheaper  rate.  As  the  business  of  this 
piece  consisted  in  carrying  off  a  wife,  the  rape  of 
Donna  Paula,  which  I  was  beginning  to  forget,  came 
in  full  force  to  my  recollection,  and  caused  me  incon- 
ceivable pain.  In  vain  I  constrained  myself,  and 
exerted  every  effort  to  overcome  the  secret  emotions 
which  agitated  me;  it  was  impossible  to  conceal  them 
from  Salzedo,  who,  remarking  the  alteration  of  my 
countenance,  said  to  me,  with  a  smile  :  "  Oh,  oh !  it 
seems  to  me  that  this  piece  interests  you." — "  It  is 
impossible  to  do  so  more,"  replied  I,  reddening. 
"  Tlie  author  possesses  perfectly  the  art  of  touching 
tho  passions.  But  it  must  be  admitted  that  these  are 
admirable  actors.  I  am  principally  pleased  with  him 
who  plays  the  husband.  He  represents  so  naturally 
a  tender  spouse  from  whom  a  wife  has  been  carried 
off,  that  I  find  his  grief  communicate  to  myself.  I  put 
myself  in  his  place.  I  imagine  that  I  have  lost  a 
beloved  wife.     I  feel  as  much  as  he." 

My  answer  excited  the  laughter  of  the  Secretary 
and  the  two  ladies  who  were  with  us.  They  rallied 
ine  on  the  excess  of  my  sensibility.  I  suffered  them 
to  make  themselves  merry  at  my  expense ;  choosing 
much  rather  to  sustain  their  pleasantries,  than  to 
make  them  acquainted  with  what  I  was  extremely 
happy  they  should  remain  in  ignorance  of.  Having 
recovered  from  the  disorder  into  which  my  spirits  had 
been  thrown,  I  said  to  Salzedo  when  the  play  was 
ended  :  "The  husband,  instead  of  abandoning  himself 
to  despair,  as  I  at  first  thought  he  was  inclined  to  do. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  257 

acts  wisely  in  resolving  to  console  himself." — "  True, 
he  does  well,"  replied  Don  Juan,  ** since  the  wife 
appears  to  have  acted  in  concert  with  her  ravisher.  If 
I  had  the  misfortune  to  find  myself  in  similar  circum- 
stances, I  would  not,  I  assure  you,  be  fool  enough  to 
let  mvself  die  of  grief  for  having  lost  a  woman  who 
had  betrayed  me." 

As,  upon  this  subject,  I  had  no  other  opinion  than 
Salzedo's,  the  impression  which  "  La  Nobia  Sonsa- 
cada"  made  on  my  mind  was  speedily  effaced;  or 
rather  I  profited  by  this  piece,  in  espousing  the  senti- 
ments of  the  husband,  and  by  renewing  my  resolution 
of  forgetting  Donna  Paula. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

OF     THE     GREATEST     EMBARRASSMENT     IN     WHICH     DON 

CHERUB  J  N  EVER  FOUND  HIMSELF IN  WHAT  MANNER 

HE   GOT  OUT  OF  IT SALZEDO    PROPOSES    TO    HIM   HIS 

DAUGHTER    IN    MARRIAGE HE    REFUSES    HER — SUR- 
PRISE OF  HIS  FRIEND. 

About  this  time,  Salzedo,  who  had  been  a  widower 
some  \'ears,  took  home  his  daughter  Blanca  from  the 
convent  in  which  he  had  placed  her  on  his  arrival  at 
Mexico.  She  possessed  a  small  lively  person,  very- 
pretty,  and  a  mind  in  which  was  discernible  sufficient 
sense  to  afford  the  promise  of  her  having  a  great  deal 
at  a  future  day. 

To  contribute  on  my  part  towards  forming  her,  or 
rather  to  pay  my  court  to  her  father,  who  begged  me 
to  see  and  talk  to  her  as  often  as  possible,  I  scarcely- 
let  a  day  pass  without  having  some  conversation  with 
her,  in  wliich  I  gave  her  moral  lessons,  enlivened  by 
discourse  as  sprightly  as  was  neccssar)'  not  to  make 
them  tiresome, 

R 


258  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

All  this  went  on  the  best  in  the  world ;  but  there 
happened  an  accident  which  spoiled  all :  the  pre- 
ceptor could  not  help  falling  in  love  with  his  pupil. 
No  sooner  was  I  sensible  of  my  sentiments,  than  I 
reproached  myself  with  them.  "What  do  you  pro- 
pose to  do?"  said  I  to  myself.  "To  show  your 
gratitude  for  Don  Juan's  bounties,  w^ould  you  seduce 
his  daughter.^"  I  was  not  satisfied  with  reproaching 
myself  for  this  passion,  I  resolved  to  combat  it;  which, 
however,  I  did  at  first  without  effect,  for,  continuing 
still  to  see  Blanca,  the  sight  of  her  always  overpowered 
my  reflections;  so  that  I  was  under  the  necessity  of 
applying  to  the  efficacious  remed}^  recommended  by 
Ovid  upon  such  occasions,  that  is  to  say,  absence. 

I  ceased  therefore  to  pay  such  frequent  visits  to  the 
young  lad}-,  and  when  I  did  go  to  see  her,  had  not 
more  than  a  moment's  conference  with  her.  Piqued 
at  the  change  which  she  perceived  in  my  behaviour, 
she  said  to  me  one  day  :  "You  grow  tired  of  me,  I  see 
very  plainly;  you  look  upon  me  as  a  child  who  is  not 
capable  of  amusing  you."  I  knew  not  what  answer 
to  make,  not  having  resolution  to  tell  her  the  reason 
for  which  I  shunned  her,  for  fear  of  becoming  more 
culpable  in  endeavouring  to  justify  m}-self. 

At  last  Blanca,  perceiving  that  I  every  day  took 
more  and  more  pains  to  avoid  her,  complained  of  it 
to  her  father,  who  did  not  fail  to  reproach  me  for  it. 
"  How  is  this?"  said  he;  "Blanca  complains  of  her 
master.  You  grow  tired,  she  says,  of  instructing  her. 
Is  it  possible  that,  in  proportion  as  she  grows  up,  }'Ou 
find  her  company  less  agreeable .''  This  surprises 
me."  I  replied  in  the  same  tone,  "  That  would  indeed 
be  a  surprising  consequence;  but  may  I  not,  on  the 
other  hand,  discontinue  my  lessons  because  her  com- 
pany is  beginning  to  grow  too  dangerous  .-' " — "Would 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  259 

to  Heaven,"  replied  Don  Juan,  "  that  it  were  for  that 
reason  \-ou  abandoned  your  scholar!" — "And  what 
other  reason,"  returned  I, '"'could  make  me  abandon 
the  charms  of  Donna  Blanca  ?  Yes,  Signior,  if  I  fly 
her,  it  is  because  I  find  it  impossible  to  view  her  with 
impunit)'.  After  the  avowal  which  I  have  just  made 
\"ou,  I  believe  you  will  applaud  the  care  which  I  take 
to  combat  the  birth  of  an  affection  which  might,  by 
augmenting,  cause  me  to  lose  your  friendship." 

Salzedo  smiled  at  these  words,  which  were,  in  my 
opinion,  calculated  to  make  him  assume  a  more 
serious  air.  "Don  Cherubin,"  said  he,  "you  show  too 
much  diffidence  of  your  own  virtue ;  repose  more  con- 
fidence in  it.  Continue  your  lessons;  see  my  daugh- 
ter every  day:  I  believe  you  incapable  of  abusing  the 
libert\'  I  o-ive  \ou  of  conversing  with  her  ;  I  have  no  un- 
easiness  on  the  subject.     I  shall  say  no  more  about  it." 

This  reticence  plunged  me  in  a  profound  reverie. 
"What  could  have  been  the  thoughts  of  Don  Juan.''  " 
said  I,  "when  he  had  quitted  me.  Would  he  be  in- 
clined to  have  me  marr\'  Blanca  ?  Such,  it  appears 
to  me,  m.ust  be  the  meaning  of  the  last  words  he 
uttered.  Could  his  friendship  for  me  be  carried  so 
far  as  to  afford  me  such  a  testimony.-'  But  what 
foily  in  me  to  think  of  such  a  thing !  This  Secretary 
is  too  rich  not  to  have  views  more  elevated  by  far ; 
and  his  only  daughter  is  not  made  for  a  man  like  me. 
But  whatever  may  be  his  intention  in  requiring  me  to 
revisit  Blanca,  he  must  be  satisfied." 

I  deteru.ined  then  to  obey  him,  fully  resolving  to 
keep  myself  on  my  guard  against  the  charms  of  his 
daugh.ter;  a  thing  more  easy  to  say  than  to  perform, 
for  ever\-  day  she  became  more  formidable.  As  she 
kn-jw  how  very  highl\-  1  whs  esteemed  b\'  her  father, 
she  received  me  in  a  mariner  so  familiar  and  obliging, 


26o  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

that  I  had  to  fear  no  less  the  marks  of  friendship  she 
bestowed  upon  me,  than  the  power  of  her  eyes.  I 
was  in  a  situation  quite  embarrassing. 

To  add  to  my  trouble,  Don  Juan  said  to  me  one 
day :  "  It  is  now  time  to  communicate  to  you  a  design 
I  have  conceived.  Learn  tlie  extent  of  my  regard 
for  you.  My  daughter  is  now  inatiira  viro,  and  it  is 
you  whom  I  have  chosen  for  my  son-in-law." 

I  could  not  hear  this  without  being  disconcerted. 
Salzedo  put  a  wrong  interpretation  on  the  embarrass- 
ment I  evinced.  He  thought  it  was  caused  by  joy  ; 
and  in  this  error  continued:  "Yes,  my  dear  Don 
Cherubin,  I  feel  an  extreme  pleasure  in  allying  your 
lot  with  that  of  my  daughter,  to  bind  you  more  firmly 
to  m\  self."  He  even  accompanied  these  words  with 
an  embrace  which  pierced  my  heart.  In  the  chagrin 
I  felt  at  this  moment  in  not  being  at  liberty  to  be- 
came his  son-in-law,  I  uttered  a  melancholy  sigh, 
which  he  interpreted  no  better  than  he  had  my  agita- 
tion :  he  imagined  that  Blanca  was  not  to  my  mind, 
and  that  I  felt  a  repugnance  to  espouse  her.  He  was 
highly  piqued  at  this;  and  casting  upon  me  a  look 
in  which  anger  was  depicted,  said  to  me,  in  a  tone  of 
irony:  "Signior  Bachelor,  lam  extremely  sorry  that  my 
laughter  has  not  found  theway  to  your  heart:  you  love 
only  beauties  old  enough  to  be  grandmothers  ;  you 
should  have  to  please  you  a  Donna  Luisa  de  Padilla." 

At  this  piece  of  raillery  I  looked  in  Don  Juan's 
face  with  such  a  mortified  air,  that  he,  judging  some- 
thing extraordinary  was  passing  in  my  mind,  began 
to  consider  me  with  the  most  serious  attention.  "  Ah, 
Signior,"  said  I,  "do  you  imagine  that  I  know  not 
the  value  of  the  honour  you  would  confer  on  me  ? 
Do  me  more  justice.  The  possession  of  Donna 
Blanca   would    have   a   thousand    charms    for    mej 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  261 

but,  alas!  that  is  forbidden  to  me  :  I  am  married." — 
"You!"  cried  Salzedo  with  surprise,  "you  marriei  1 
Why  did  you  not  tell  me  so  ?  " — "  If  I  made  a  mystery 
of  my  marriage  with  you,"  I  replied,  "  it  was  because 
in  speaking  of  it  I  should  have  been  obh'ged  to  inform 
you  of  the  misfortune  which  followed  close  upon  it, 
and  which  I  would  have  buried  in  eternal  silence." — 
"  Conceal  not  this  misfortune  from  me,"  returned  he  ; 
"perhaps  I  may  assist  you  in  rep)airing  it." — "I  must 
then  reveal  the  secret,"  replied  I;  "pardon  me  for 
not  having  done  it  before."  I  then  confided  to  him 
the  whole  stor>',  and  remarked  as  I  related  it,  that 
he  participated  in  my  affliction. 

"Don  Cherubin,"  said  he,  when  I  had  finished  my 
recital,  "  I  am  sensibly  affected  with  what  you  have 
told  me.  I  am  no  longer  surprised  at  your  appearing 
troubled  at  the  representation  of  *  La  Nobia  Son- 
sacada.'  This  piece  no  doubt  revived  the  recollection 
of  your  misfortune;  but  let  reason  banish  for  ever 
from  your  mind  these  gloomy  images.  With  regard 
to  my  daugiiter,  we  \v\\\  say  no  more  about  her; 
ceasing  to  see  her,  }-ou  will  shortly  cease  to  love  her. 
I  would  gladly  have  been  your  father-in-law;  and 
I  should  doubtless  have  been  so,  had  not  fortune 
thrown  this  uisuperaLle  obstacle  in  the  way.  Let  us 
then  content  our.^elves  with  being  united  in  bonds  of 
the  most  tender  friendship." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

HISTORY  OF  DON  ANDREDE  ALVARADE  AND  DONNA  CYNTHIA 

DE       LA     CAREER  A DON      CHERUBIN^S    ADVICE DON 

ANDRE  APPROVES  AND  RESOLVES  TO  FOLLOW  IT. 

The  easie)  to  forget  Salzedo's  daughter,  I  began  to 
pay  court  more  strorgly  than  ever  to  the  most  lovely 


262  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

of  the  Mexican  ladies.  I  also  saw  a  number  of  yoiinj 
gentlemen  with  whom  I  every  day  engaged  in  parties 
of  pleasure.  Among  others,  I  formed  a  close  intimacy 
with  Don  Andre  de  Alvarade,  great-grandson  to  the 
famous  Alvarade,  of  whom  such  honourable  mention 
is  made  in  the  history  of  the  conquest  of  Mexco. 

Having  one  day  gone  to  visit  him,  I  found  him 
in  his  room  extended  on  a  sofa  of  Chinese  silk, 
and  plunged  in  a  reverie  so  profound,  that  I  entered 
without  his  perceiving  me.  I  remained  some  minutes 
before  him,  while  he  was  so  occupied  witli  his  thoughts 
that  he  was  insensible  of  my  presence;  and  imagining 
himself  alone,  pronounced  aloud,  "  \'es,  I  believe  that 
this  creature  will  drive  me  mad."  He  then  started 
from  his  reverie,  and,  seeing  me,  burst  out  laughing. 
"  Ah  !  my  dear  friend,"  cried  he,  "  are  you  there  .''  You 
found  me  absorbed  in  my  reflections;  and,  since  you 
have  heard  me,  I  will  no  longer  make  a  mystery  with 
you  of  the  state  in  which  I  find  myself,  I  love,  or 
rather  I  adore,  a  lady  who  is  driving  me  to  despair." 

"  Hey  !"  cried  I,  "  who  is  this  cruel,  this  ungrateful 
creature,  o(  whom  you  complain?" — "  It  is,"  replied 
he,  "  Donna  Cynthia  de  la  Carrera,  daughter  of  Don 
Joaquin  de  la  Carrera,  Councillor  of  the  Chancery. 
You  have  never  seen  her,  and  she  is  a  new  acquaint- 
ance, whom  I  have  made  to  my  misfortune.  She  is 
a  lady  of  ravishing  beauty  ;  but  the  hope  of  pleasing 
her  is  denied  me.  She  is  courted  by  Don  Bernardo 
de  Orosco  and  Don  Julian  de  Martara,  who  are  two 
young  noblemen  of  great  merit," 

"  I  understand  you,"  replied  I  ;  "these  concurrences 
give  you  pain  ;  }'ou  are  alarmed  at  their  courtship." — 
"  Very  little,"  replied  he  :  "  formidable  as  they  are,  I 
fear  them  less  than  the  strange  character  of  Cynthia: 
she  is  so  proud  and  so  disdainful,  that  she  does  not 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  263 

imagine  there  is  on  earth  a  man  worthy  of  her  atten- 
tion?   She  becomes  Hke  a  fury  when  any  one  speaks  to 
her  of  love.     Don  Joaquin,  her  father,  who  is  desirous 
enough  of  marrying  her,  but  who  will  not  constrain  her 
incliitation,  finds  her  so  opposed  to  his  intention,  that 
he  dares  no  longer  press  her  to  take  a  husband.   Would 
you  believe  it .?  in  the  apartment  of  this  cruel  creature 
everything  announces  that  she  is  an  enemy  to  love. 
Nothing  is  to  be  seen  there  but  the  portraits  of  women, 
over  whom  this  god  could   never  triumph.     On  one 
side,  you  see   Daphne  flying  from  the   embraces  of 
Apollo  ;  on  the  other,  Arethusa,  who  chooses  rather  to 
be  changed  into  a  fountain  than  yield  to  the  love  of 
Alpheus.     In  a  word,  all  the  paintings  which  there 
meet  the  eye  evince  that  she  despises  men." 

"You  are  giving  me  the  description  of  a  most  ex- 
traordinary fady,"  said  I,  considerably  surprised  to 
find  that  there  was  any  such  in  Mexico,  where  the 
women  are  naturally  less  cruel  than  in  any  part  of 
the  world.  "  .She  has  then,  it  seems,  received  very  ill 
the  declaration  of  your  passion  ?  "— "  I  have  not  yet 
declared  it  to  her,''  replied  he;  "and,  between  our- 
jelves,  I  know  not  what  to  do  about  it.  If  I  break 
silence,  she  will  close  my  mouth  with  some  haughty 
answer,  and  if  I  hold  my  tongue,  my  fate  will  still 
remain  uncertain. 

"  You  see  my  embarrassment,'"  pursued  Don  Andre  ; 
"if  you  were  in  my  place,  what  course  would  you 
pursue?"— "An  extreme,"  replied  I.  "Instead  of 
burning  incense  to  the  idol,  and  nourishing  her  pride 
by  flattery  and  attentions,  I  would  oppose  it  by^  a 
feigned  indifference  ;  I  would  employ  disdain  for  dis- 
dain ;  I  would  go  beyond  her  in  the  aversion  she 
manifests  for  all  tender  engagements.  It  is  thus  I 
would  act  with  a  person  of  such  a  singular  character 


264  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

What  s?y  you  to  my  way  of  thinking  ?  You  perhaps 
consider  it  extravagant" — "  Not  at  all,"  reph'ed  Don 
Andre  ;  "  I  approve  of  it  highly  ;  and,  to  convince  you 
of  it,  I  am  determined  to  act  this  part  with  Cynthia- 
I  think  I  shall  not  acquit  myself  ill,  though  I  burn 
with  the  greatest  ardour  towards  her.  We  shall  see 
what  this  artifice  will  produce.  I  will  go  and  see  her 
to-day,  and  will  give  \'ou  an  account  to-morrow  of 
what  shall  pass  between  us." 

We  here  separated,  and  early  the  following  day 
Alvarade  called  upon  me.  I  was  no  less  impatient 
to  hear  the  progress  he  had  made  than  he  to  recount 
it  to  me.  "Don  Cherubin,"  said  he  gaily,  "I  shall 
be  very  much  deceived  if  our  strategem  do  not  suc- 
ceed. Yesterday,  when  I  went  to  Cynthia's,  as  I  was 
going  into  the  house  I  met  her  servant  Laura,  whom 
I  have  already  engaged  in  my  interest.  I  made  her 
the  confident  of  our  project,  telling  her  the  plan  I 
intended  to  pursue  with  her  mistress  ;  and  nothing 
it  appeared  to  her  could  have  been  more  ingeniously 
conceived.  Laura,"  continued  he,  "was  not  content 
with  only  applauding  my  design,  but  promised  to 
second  it  ;  and  I  rely  a  great  deal  upon  this  promise, 
for  she  is  a  girl  of  talent,  and  capable  of  serving  nie." 
— "  But,"  said  I,  "  did  you  not  see  Cynthia?  Did  }ou 
not  speak  to  her?" — "Pardon  me,"  said  he,  "I  went 
to  her  apartment,  where  T  found  her  v/ith  some  ladies 
of  her  acquaintance,  and  Don  Bernardo  de  Orosco. 
We  began  talking  of  marriage.  Don  Bernardo  ex- 
tolled the  advantages  of  it,  and  made  the  happiness 
of  life  consist  in  the  union  of  two  persons  bound  by 
mutual  affection.  Don  Joaquin's  daughter,  on  the 
contrar}',  maintained  that  there  was  no  condition 
more  wi-etched  than  that  of  two  persons  bound  together 
b\'  the  yoke  of  Hymen.     '  I  am  of  the  lady's  opinion,' 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  265 

cried  I,  'on  that  subject.  I  tliink  that  no  state  can 
be  more  deplorable  than  that  of  married  people;  and 
have  therefore,  ever  since  I  attained  the  age  of  reason, 
looked  with  horror  upon  wedlock,  as  also  upon  love; 
for  it  is  this  dangerous  passion  which  commonly  con- 
ducts to  marriage.' 

"All  the  company  burst  out  laughing  at  hearing 
me  speak  thus.  'You  are  then,'  said  one  lady,  'an 
enemy  to  our  sex,  Don  Andre?' — 'No,  madam,' 
replied  I,  '  do  not  make  me  more  culpable  than  I 
am.  God  forbid  that  I  should  be  a  woman-hater!  I 
respect  and  honour  them  infinitely  ;  but  that  is  all 
they  are  to  expect  from  me.  I  will  neither  love  them, 
nor  be  loved  by  them.' — '  How,  then ! '  said  Don 
Joaquin's  daughter,  'if  any  beautiful  lady  should 
cast  her  eyes  on  }'ou,  she  might  run  the  risk  of  being 
repaid  with  ingratitude.' — 'Yes,  madam,'  replied  I, 
doubtless;  she  would  have  the  mortification  of 
loving  by  herself,  were  she  as  amiable  as  you.'  The 
ladies  redoubled  their  laughter  at  these  words,  which 
I  pronounced  with  a  very  serious  air,  and  with  which 
Cynthia  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  little  moved. 
'Ladies,'  returned  she,  addressing  her  friends,  'you 
see  that  Don  Alvarade  will  not  deceive  you,  since 
he  declares  his  sentiments  so  plainly.' — 'But,  Don 
Andre,'  cried  a  lady,  '  be  consi.stent  with  yourself: 
you  have  been  seen  to  give  entertainments  to  ladies, 
which  seems  to  imply  that  you  are  not  so  insensible 
as  you  would  have  us  believe  to  their  attractions.' 
— '  That  does  not,'  replied  I,  '  prove  that  I  love 
them  ;  it  only  shows  that  I  am  gallant,  as  every 
gentleman  ought  to  be.  I  do  not  deny  myself  their 
company  ;  but  I  view  the  ladies  without  suffering 
my  affections  to  be  engaged  to  them,  and  without 
feeling  any  desire  to  please  them.* 


266  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.   ' 

"This  is  what  passed  yesterday  with  Don  Joaquin's 
daughter,"  continued  Don  Andre  Alvarade ;  "and  to 
tell  you  my  opinion  of  it,  I  thought  I  remarked  in 
Cynthia's  eyes  a  secret  anger  at  meeting  a  man  who 
seemed  to  bid  defiance  to  her  empire.  I  do  not  know, 
after  all,  whether  I  may  not  deceive  m\self  in  think- 
ing so.  I  would  not  swear  it;  and  the  indifference 
which  I  affect  out  of  pride,  will  perhaps  answer  no 
other  purpose  than  that  of  making  her  despise  me 
the  more." — "  No,  my  friend,"  said  I ;  "  I  rather  con- 
clude, that  to  avenge  her  wounded  vanity,  she  will 
be  the  more  desirous  of  fixing  you  in  her  chains." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CONTINUATION  OF  THE  STORY  OF  DON  ANDRE  ALVARADE 
AND  DONNA  CYNTHIA  DE  LA  CAR R ERA FINAL  SUC- 
CESS   OF  DON  CHERUBIN's   ADVICE HE   IS    THANKED 

F.yR  IT  BY  DON  ANDRE. 

In  effect,  on  the  very  same  day,  Don  Andre  having 
met  Laura  at  a  house  appointed,  he  learned  that  her 
mistress  had  fallen  into  the  snare.  "Yes,  Signior 
Don  Andre,"  said  the  waiting-maid,  "you  have  raised 
against  you  the  pride  of  the  haughty  Cynthia.  She 
says  she  cannot  pardon  your  insensibility ;  and  I 
warn  you  that  she  is  resolved  to  spare  no  pains  to 
triumph  over  it.  She  has  not  slept  all  night;  and 
has  done  nothing  but  groan  and  sigh  with  rage,  at 
}Our  having  braved  the  power  of  her  eyes." — "But, 
madam,"  said  I,  "what  cause  have  you  to  complain 
cf  Don  Andre .''  he  is  not  more  blamable  in  being 
insensible  to  the  charms  of  ladies,  than  you  in  despis- 
ing the  most  accomplished  cavaliers." — "Do  not  take 
his  part,  Laura,"  replied  she.     "  Seek  not  to  excuse 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  267 

him.  I  detect  him;  and  I  shall  never  feel  satisfied 
till  I  see  this  savage  dying  at  my  feet.  I  would,  if  I 
possessed  it,  give  all  the  wealth  in  the  world  to  have 
that  pleasure." 

'^You  of  course  judge  by  what  I  have  told  you," 
said  the  maid,  "that  Don  Joaquin's  daughter  is  pre- 
paring to  set  ever\-  engine  at  work  to  inflame  you. 
Take  your  measures  accordingly,  and  be  persuaded 
that  you  have  everything  to  hope  for  in  continuing 
the  deception  you  have  began.  Adieu,  Signior  Don 
Andre,"  continued  she,  "I  am  going  back  to  my  mis- 
tress. Return  here  at  six  o'clock,  and  it  is  probable 
I  may  have  some  information  for  you."  Don  Andre, 
having  returned  at  the  appointed  time,  accordingly 
met  the  maid.  "  Keep  yourself  on  your  guard,"  said 
she;  "my  mistress  designs  to  attack  you  with  her 
strongest  weapons:  as  it  is  now  Carnival  time,  she 
designs  to  give  a  Sarao*  to-morrow  evening,  in  which 
it  will  be  so  contrived,  that  you  w  ill  both  wear  sashes 
of  the  same  colour.  She  makes  tolerably  sure  of 
enchanting  you,  with  the  flattering  glances  whieh  she 
will  abundantl)'  bestow  upon  you.  Distrust  this  syren, 
who  has  no  other  view  in  charming  you,  than  that  of 
overwhelming  you  with  contempt.  I  fear  that,  trans- 
ported with  joy,  and  too  full  of  your  love,  you  will 
betray  yourself." — "  No,  no,  my  dear  Laura,"  replied 

*  This  is  an  assembly  which  takes  place  in  the  Carnival  time.  It  is 
.;ompo3ed  of  young  people  of  both  sexes,  who  are  in  disguise,  but  with- 
out masks.  A  woman  who  has  in  her  hand  a  basket  of  silk  sashes  of 
different  colours,  presents  one  to  each  lady  as  she  enters  the  Sarao 
saloon.  Another  woman,  supplied  with  sashes  of  the  same  kind,  dis- 
tributes them  to  the  gentlemen.  After  this,  each  of  the  gentlemen 
seeking  the  's,iy  who  wears  the  colour  which  marks  her  as  his  partner 
for  the  evening,  accosts  her,  and  remains  at  her  feet  all  the  time  the 
Sarao  lasts.  He  is  allowed  to  address  her  in  the  must  tender  language 
vithouL  her  being  at  libcity  to  lake  offence  :  sucii  is  the  rule,  which  of 
course  often  occasions  intrigues.     The  Sarao  concludes  with  dancij>g. 


268  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

Don  Andre,  "lay  aside  that  fear:  enoui^h  that  I  am 
apprised  of  the  peril  to  enable  me  to  shun  it.  Let 
me  alone  in  the  business  ;  the  haughty  Cynthia  will 
most  probably  be  caught  herself." 

Alvarade,  after  having  had  this  fresh  conversa- 
tion with  Laura,  came  with  an  account  of  it  to  me  ; 
and  we  both  congratulated  ourselves  upon  it.  Don 
Joaquin's  daughter,  on  her  part,  meditating  the  con- 
quest of  a  man  who  was  already  but  too  much  taken 
with  her  beauty,  employed  herself  in  making  pre- 
parations for  her  Sarao  on  the  following  evening.  She 
sent  tickets  to  the  ladies  whom  she  wished  to  be 
present ;  and  as  Don  Bernando  and  Don  Julian  were 
of  the  number  of  the  cavaliers  who  were  likewise 
invited,  Don  Joaquin  was  extremely  pleased,  flattering 
himself  with  the  hope  that  one  or  other  of  these 
gallants  might  render  himself  agreeable  to  his 
daughter.  Don  Andre,  as  it  may  be  well  supposed, 
was  not  forgotten.  He  also  received  his  ticket,  and 
the  next  day  \vhen  the  hour  for  the  Sarao  had  arrived, 
went  there  gaily  dressed,  and  disposed  to  acquit  him- 
self well  of  his  part. 

As  soon  as  he  entered  the  saloon,  the  woman  who 
held  the  sashes  designed  for  the  gentlemen,  presented 
him  with  a  green  one.  He  immediately  put  it  on, 
and  looking  out  for  the  lady  who  should  have  one  of 
the  same  colour,  he  found  her  in  the  daughter  of  Don 
Joaquin.  He  advanced  towards  her,  and  accosting 
her  politely,  "Madam,"  said  he,  "I  look  upon  this 
day  as  the  happiest  of  my  life,  since  it  falls  to  my 
lot  to  become  the  partner  of  the  charming  Cynthia." 
— "Do  not  congratulate  yourself  too  much  on  your 
good  fortune,"  replied  she;  "the  danger  you  are  in 
ougiit  rather  to  make  you  tremble.  You  ought  to 
complain   of  your  chance;    which  would   have  been 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  269 

more  favourable  had  it  assigned  }-ou  another  lady. 
You  might  have  been  able  to  please  her,  instead  of 
which  }-ou  will  derive  no  advantage  from  the  con- 
versation we  shall  have  together.  I  will  even  apprise 
you  out  of  charit}-,  that  if  you  have  the  misfortune  to 
become  enamoured  of  me,  I  shall  treat  you  with  the 
utmost  rigour.  This  is  what  you  may  make  up  )'our 
mind  to." 

"You  think  to  frighten  me,"  replied  my  friend, 
"but  fear  yourself  that  your  pride  may  be  forced  to 
stoop  to  mine;  for,  in  short,"  continued  he,  assuming 
a  tone  of  tenderness,  "is  it  possible  that  you  will  not 
be  touched  by  my  pains,  when,  profiting  by  the  liberty 
which  the  Sarao  affords  me  to  speak  to  you  of  love, 
I  shall  make  known  the  deplorable  state  to  which  I 
am  reduced  ?  Yes,  lovely  Cynthia,  my  heart  is  a 
pre\-  to  a  thousand  flames."  So  saying,  he  kissed 
her  hand  in  transport.  "  Alvarade,"  replied  the  lady, 
repulsing  him  gently,  "you  contradict  yourself:  you 
express  yourself  in  such  a  manner,  and  in  such  terms, 
as  make  me  imagine  that  you  really  love  me,  though 
}-ou  think  you  do  not.  You  do  not  remember  that  I 
told  you  I  should  repay  your  sighs  with  contempt 
and  rigour." — "  It  is  you,  madam,"  replied  Don  Andre, 
"  it  is  you  that  forget  we  are  in  a  Sarao.  All  that  I 
.'^aid  was  only  affected." — "  What !  "  cried  the  lady, 
"do  )ou  not  feel  what  you  have  just  been  saying  .^ '" — 
"  Heaven  preserve  me  from  it !  "  returned  the  cavalier, 
changing  his  tone.  "  Wiio  !  I  augment  the  number 
of  your  slaves }  No,  madam,  though  I  were  even 
capable  of  loving  you,  shame  would  oblige  me  to 
concer.l  it." 

"You  can,  then,  counterfeit  extremely  well,"  said 
Cynihia.  "To  perfection!"  replied  Alvarade;  "I 
borrow  when  I  please  the  eyes  and  language  of  the 


270  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

most  tender  love  ;  for  example,  if  I  wished  to  make 
you  a  declaration  of  love,  I  would  say  :  Adorable 
Cynthia,  it  is  not  through  gallantry,  or  to  fulfil 
the  duties  of  the  Sarao,  that  I  tell  you  my  heart 
was  surrendered  to  your  earliest  glances ;  it  is  to 
discover  to  you  my  secret  sentiments,  since  I  can 
this  day  make  you  acquainted  with  them  without 
raising  \-our  anger  at  my  presumption." — "  And  that 
was  onl)'  pretended?"  interrupted  the  lady  hastily. 
"  Say  no  more,  Alvarade  :  I  see  through  your  finesse ; 
you  pretend  to  be  insensible  to  female  beaut}',  flat- 
tering yourself  that  by  that  means  you  will  render 
me  more  tractable.  Have  I  not  penetrated  your 
design  ?  Acknowledge  it  with  a  good  grace,  and  \-ou 
shall  not  repent  it :  rely  on  the  promise  which  I  make 
you." 

Don  Andre  hesitated  some  moments  before  he 
answered ;  but  determined  at  last  to  satisfy  her  at  the 
expense  of  whom  it  might  concern,  he  confessed  the 
whole  :  after  which  he  said  :  "  Madam,  I  now  await 
my  doom  ;  deign  to  pronounce  it,  decide  my  fate." — 
"  I  might,"  replied  Cynthia,  "  be  offended  at  your 
duplicity,  and  to  punish  you  for  it,  treat  you  like  my 
other  lovers  ;  but  I  pardon  you  for  the  sake  of  the 
invention,  and  give  you  tJie  preference  over  all  your 
rivals." 

I  leave  it  to  the  reader  to  conceive  the  rapture 
which  these  last  words  caused  my  friend,  who  as  long 
as  the  Sarao  lasted,  which  was  till  the  following 
morning,  ceased  not  to  manifest  his  gratitude  to 
Don  Joaquin's  daughter.  No  sooner  had  he  quitted 
this  lad}',  than  he  ran  to  me  to  comnmnicate  to  me 
his  joy.  He  returned  me  a  million  of  thanks  for 
having  advised  to  assume  the  part  which  he  had 
acted  so  successfully,  telling  me  that  I  was  the  authof 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  271 

of  his  felicity.  In  short,  a  fortnight  after  he  married 
his  mistress,  in  prejudice  of  his  two  rivals,  who  at 
bottom  were  preferable  to  him. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

DON    CHERUBIN     GOES     OUT    OF     CURIOSITY     TO      HEAR     A 

FAMOUS  PREACHER,  A  FATHER  OF  THE  ORDER  OF 
SAINT  DOMINIC WHO  THIS  MONK  WAS — HIS  SUR- 
PRISE AT  RECOGNISING  HIM,  AND  THE  INTERVIEW 
HE    HAD    WITH   HIM. 

A  SHORT  time  after  this  marriage,  it  happened  that 
a  friar  of  the  Order  of  Saint  Dominic  came  from 
Guatimala  to  reside  at  Mexico.  He  preached  at  first 
in  the  cathedral,  and  made  so  much  noise  from  the 
time  of  his  first  sermon,  that  he  became  the  General 
subject  of  conversation  in  the  town.  Whatever  house 
I  entered,  I  heard  nothing  there  but  the  praises  of 
Father  C}'ril  :  the  women  in  particular  extolled  him, 
and  set  him  above  the  most  famous  preachers  of  the 
Order  of  Mercy,  of  Saint  Francis,  and  even  of  the 
Jesuits,  although  among  these  latter  were  some  of 
great  celebrity.  When  he  preached  in  a  religious 
house,  all  the  nobility  flocked  thither  in  crowds  ;  and 
the  price  of  seats  was  enhanced.  The  congregation 
burst  out  in  exclamations  of  applause.  They  even 
clapped  their  hands,  and  went  out  of  the  church 
praising  the  eloquence  of  the  preacher  to  the  skies. 

I  could  not  hold  out  against  the  reputation  of 
Fati.er  C}  ril,  and  was  desirous  of  judging  of  his 
talents  from  my  own  observation.  Having  learned 
that  he  was  to  preach  on  the  Day  of  the  A-sumption 
at  his  convent,  I  \\c  ;.t  thither,  and  found  a  numerous 
and  brilliant  congregation,  though  this  monastery  is 


272  THE  BACHELOR  OE  SALAMANCA. 

a  league  from  the  town.  I  took  my  seat  for  my 
money  among  the  rest  of  the  auditors,  and,  while 
waiting  for  the  sermon,  conversed  with  a  cavalier  who 
v/as  sitting  near  me.  I  asked  liim  if  he  had  ever 
heard  Father  Cyril.  "  Twice,"  replied  he  ;  "  and  I 
protest  to  you,  that  no  preacher  ever  pleased  me  so 
much  as  he. 

"You  will  be  astonished,"  continued  he,  "with  his 
dazzling  style,  and  the  beauty  of  his  portraits.  He 
has  a  choice  of  terms  and  an  eloquence  which  set 
off  everything  ;  happy  metaphors,  judicious  and 
charming  allegories,  beauties  of  detail,  terms  which 
are  peculiar  to  himself,  and,  above  all,  the  most  nicely 
conceived  transitions.  I  warn  you  only,  that  it  is 
necessary  to  listen  to  him  with  all  the  attention  you 
are  capable  of;  for  he  has  a  volubility  of  tongue 
which  it  is  difficxilt  to  follow.  I  was  at  his  last 
sermon  at  the  Convent  of  Mercy  :  I  had  the  misfor- 
tune to  sneeze,  and  m\-  sneezing  caused  me  to  lose  a 
period."  I  replied,  "that  there  were  some  preachers 
who  spoke  so  quick,  that  one  must  not  even  turn 
one's  eyes  from  them  for  a  moment,  if  one  would  not 
lose  the  thread  of  their  discourse." 

This  conversation,  however,  redoubled  the  impa- 
tience I  felt  to  see  this  celebrated  personage.  I  saw 
him  ascend  the  pulpit,  and  the  church  immediately 
echoed  with  a  general  acclamation  ;  which  gave  me 
to  understand  to  wiiat  a  point  the  public  were  pre- 
judiced in  his  favour.  Father  Cyril  appeared  to  me 
not  bigger  than  a  dwarf;  and  was  really  so  small, 
that  we  could  but  just  see  his  head.  I  was  struck 
with  his  features  ;  and  scarcely  had  he  pronounced 
his  text,  ere  I  completely  recognised  him  by  the 
sound  of  his  voice.  "  It  is  lie,"  said  I  to  myself. 
"Yes,  faith,  it  is  the  Licentiate  Carambola.     What  a 


/  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  273 

1 

pleasant  adventure  !  It  seems  that  we  follow  each 
other.  We  bade  adieu  in  Toledo,  and  met  again  in 
Madrid  ;  there  we  separated,  and  found  each  other  at 
Barcelona.  One  would  say  that  fortune  takes  pleasure 
in  bringing  us  together,"  Then,  doubting  the  report 
of  my  eyes  and  ears,  "  May  I  not  deceive  myself .'' "  I 
reflected.  "  This  is,  indeed,  his  voice  and  figure,  but  do 
we  not  every  day  see  men  who  exactly  resemble  each 
other  .''  Besides,  can  it  be  possible  that  Carambola 
has  assumed  the  frock  and  (what  is  beyond  my  com- 
prehension) become  a  great  preacher  ?  This  is  what 
I  cannot  understand."  Nevertheless,  the  more  I 
heard  and  contemplated  Father  Cyril,  the  more  was 
I  convinced  that  he  was  my  Biscayan  licentiate. 

Whilst  waiting  until  I  should  be  able  to  convert 
my  doubt  into  certainty,  I  listened  attentively  to  the 
friar,  to  ascertain  if  the  public  were  right  in  admiring 
his  eloquence;  but  he  delivered  himself  so  rapidly 
that,  without  sneezing,  I  lost  more  than  half  of  what 
he  said.  I  heard,  however,  enough  to  console  me 
for  this  loss  ;  I  even  made  a  remark  which  did  not 
redound  to  the  glory  of  the  preacher ;  I  observed 
that  the  auditors  were  only  taken  with  his  style,  and 
that  the  orator  spoke  Less  to  the  heart  than  to  the 
head. 

When  the  sermon  was  concluded,  I  got  myself 
conducted  to  the  apartment  of  Father  Cyril,  who 
beheld  me  again  with  a  surprise  equal  to  that  which 
I  had  felt  on  seeing  him  in  the  pulpit.  We  both 
embraced  affectionately.  "  Signior  Licentiate,"  said 
1,  "  thank  Heaven  that  we  once  more  meet ;  but 
acknowledge  that  this  last  rencounter  is  more  aston- 
ishing than  the  rest.  I  should  never  have  expected  to 
find  you  in  the  habit  of  a  Jacobin." — "  My  astonish- 
ment," replied  he,  "is  equal  to  yours,  and  \  ou  may 

S 


274  ^-f^S  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

easily  imagine  that  I  am  not  a  little  curious  to  know 
what  you  are  doing  in  Mexico.  I  suppose  you  are 
not  less  so  to  know  how  I  became  a  friar,  and  what 
is  more,  a  preacher  of  the  first  flight.  We  must 
satisfy  each  other.  But  let  us  put  it  off,  if  you  please, 
till  to-morrow,  for  two  reasons  :  besides  that  I  am 
fatigued,  I  have  a  long  recital  to  make." — "  And  on 
my  side,"  returned  I,  "  I  have  also  an  infinitude  of 
things  to  recount  to  you.  Adieu,  Father  Cyril; 
repose  yourself.  We  shall  see  each  other  again 
to-morrow." 

Hereupon  I  left  my  preacher;  and,  having  rejoined 
him  on  the  following  day  in  the  afternoon,  we  shut 
ourselves  up  in  his  apartment,  where  we  prepared 
ourselves  for  mutually  recounting  what  had  happened 
since  our  last  separation.  I  spoke  first ;  and  per- 
suaded that  I  need  have  no  reserve  with  my  friend 
Carambola,  I  told  him  everything.  When  I  had 
concluded,  he  recounted  to  me  his  own  adventures 
with  equal  sincerity. 


END  OF  THE  FOURTH  PART. 


PART   THE   FIFTH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  LICENTIATE  CARAMBOLA  BEGINS  THE  HISTORY  OF  HIS 

VOYAGE  TO   THE  IVEST  INDIES HE  MEETS    WITH   ONE 

OF     HIS   COLLEGE    COMPANIONS IVHO     HE     WAS HE 

RESOLVES  TO  FOLLOW  HJM,  AND  BECOMES  A  FRIAR. 

"  You  know  well,"  said  he,  "  that  you  left  me  at 
Barcelona,  tutor  to  a  spoiled  child  ;  I  told  you,  if  you 
remember,  that  I  was  very  well  satisfied  with  my 
post,  that  I  possessed  in  it  all  the  advantages  which 
a  pedagogue  could  anywhere  have,  and  that  in  all 
likelihood  I  should  occupy  it  a  long  while.  Never- 
theless, I  was  obliged  to  leave  it.  They  gave  me  my 
thanks  ;  what  do  I  say  ?  They  dismissed  me  unfairly 
enough.  This  was  the  reason  :  one  day  being  a  little 
out  of  humour  with  my  young  gentleman,  into  whose 
head  I  could  not  drive  the  first  principles  of  the 
Latin  language,  it  happened  that  I  forgot  I  was  for- 
bidden to  chastise  him,  for  fear  of  grieving  and  making 
him  ill;  and  I  pulled  his  ears  ratlier  roughly,  I  must 
acknowledge.  He  screamed  as  loud  as  if  I  had  been 
burning  him  alive.  His  mother,  who  was  within 
hearing,  ran  to  him,  and,  finding  her  son  in  tears, 
accused  me  of  brutality.  The  father,  who  was  not 
master  in  his  own  house,  was  desirous  of  interceding 
in  my  favour,  but  he  was  silenced  as  if  he  had  been  a 


276  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

child,  and  I  was  turned  out  of  doors  without  further 
process. 

"  Some  days  after  having  been  thus  dismissed,  as  I 
was  walking  alone  on  the  wharf,  musing  on  the  un- 
promising state  of  my  affairs,  I  met  two  reverencf 
fathers  of  Saint  Dominic,  of  whom  I  recognised  one 
as  having  been  my  fellow-student  at  the  university  of 
Alcala.  We  accosted  each  other,  and,  after  having 
cordially  embraced,  began  to  amuse  ourselves  with 
conversing  on  the  little  tricks  we  had  played  onr 
professors  at  college.  He  then  informed  me  that  he 
had  come  from  Salzona  with  his  companion,  in  order 
to  embark  on  the  follo\\ing  day  on  board  ;i  vessel 
which  was  to  sail  for  Cadiz,  where  they  were  both 
expected  in  their  convent,  one  to  be  professor  of 
philosophy,  and  the  other  of  theology.  *  I  envy  your 
happiness,  fathers,'  said  I,  sighing,  '  and  repent  of  not 
having  embraced  your  life,  instead  of  haviruj^^  made 
m\'self  a  galley-slave,  for  such  I  call  a  poor  d^wW  of  a 
tutor.' 

"  My  schoolfellow  began  laughing  at  b«;aring  me 
talk  thus.  'I  did  not  know,'  said  he,  'that  the  con- 
dition of  a  tutor  was  that  of  a  galley-sl:..ve.' — 'I  can 
inform  you  then  that  it  is  so,'  replied  I,  '  and  you 
may  take  my  word  for  it.  I  acknowledge  that  there 
are  no  rules  without  exceptions,  and  that  there  are 
houses  where  the  slavery  of  pedagogues  is  mild, 
or  at  least  supportable.  At  the  house  of  an  old 
prudish  devotee,  for  instance,  a  hypocritical  preceptor 
is  not  badly  off:  he  possesses  tlie  confidence  of  his 
patroness,  who  sees  but  with  his  eyes,  and  who,  as 
the  price  of  his  interested  complaisance  towards  her, 
sometimes  makes  generous  mention  of  him  in  her 
w  ill.  But  such  places  are  rare,  and  as  for  me,  I  have 
hitherto  met  with  none  but  wretched  ones.' 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  277 

*'*I  am  sorry,'  replied  the  monk,  'that  you  are  not 
content  with  your  lot.  I  wish  you  were  as  much  so 
as  I  am  with  mine.  If  everybody  knew  how  happy 
we  Jacobins  are,  our  cloister  would  not  contain  the 
great  number  who  would  eagerly  press  forward  to 
inhabit  it.' — 'Ah!  father,' cried  I,  'you  augment  my 
regret  for  not  having  assumed  the  fortunate  habit  of 
Saint  Dominic' — '  If  you  speak  seriously,'  said  he, 
'  I  will  enable  you  to  put  it  on  when  you  please.  It 
is  not  yet  too  late.  Profit  by  the  opportunity.  Come 
with  us  to  Cadiz :  I  will  present  you  to  the  Reverend 
Father  Isidore,  prior  of  our  houhC,  and  I  am  sure  that 
he  will  receive  you  willingly  among  us,  when  he  shall 
learn  that  you  have  made  a  noise  among  the  schools 
of  Alcala,  where  I  have  witnessed  your  brilliant 
studies.  I  still  remember  that  they  used  to  call  you 
by  way  of  excellence,  aquila  theologice. 

"'Yes,  Signior  Licentiate,'  continued  he,  'Father 
Isidore  will  look  upon  you  as  an  excellent  acquisi- 
tion to  our  order,  and  will  owe  me  much  goodwill 
for  having  procured  it  such  an  one.  Determine  ;  see 
what  you  will  do  ! ' — '  I  will  take  you  at  your  word,' 
replied  I,  '  and  would  set  out  with  you  for  Cadiz,  ii 
I  were  sufficiently  well  off  for  cash  to  defray  the 
expenses  of  my  journey  and  my  reception;  but  I 
will  candidly  acknowledge  to  you,  that  all  my  pro- 
perty consists  in  a  single  doubloon,  of  which  I  owe 
three-fourths  at  the  inn  where  I  have  been  living 
since  I  was  out  of  place.' 

" '  You  have  no  need  of  money  with  us,'  said  the 
other  friar  ;  '  we  are  able  to  defray  all  the  expenses 
on  the  journey  :  and  as  for  your  reception,  be  assured 
that  it  will  be  given  gratuitously  on  consideration  of 
your  merit.  Well !  are  there  now  any  more  difficulties 
to  get  over.'' — 'No,' replied  I,  '  there  are  none.     In- 


278  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

deed,  fathers,  you  inspire  me ;  I  am  ready  to  follow 
you.' 

"  My  future  companions  appeared  charmed  to  see 
me  disposed  to  go  along  with  them.  'We  say  not 
adieu,  brother,' said  my  scho  Ife.iow ;  'we  shall  have 
plenty  of  time  for  conversation.  We  leave  you,* 
added  he,  pointing  with  his  finger  to  a  vessel  which 
was  lying  in  the  port,  'to  deposit  on  board  that  ship 
all  the  provisions  necessary  for  our  voyage ;  for  we 
are  tjot  folks  to  embark  without  biscuit.  Come  and 
join  us  then  this  evening:  we  shall  sail  to-morrow 
before  day.' " 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE   LICENTIATE   CARAMBOLA    EMBARKS    WITH   THE   GOOD 

FA  THERS  OF  SAINT  DOMINIC HIS  RECEPTION  TO  THE 

NOVITIATE HE    RECEIVES    HOLY  ORDERS IN    WHAT 

MANNER      HE     PREACHED       THE      FIRST      TIME HE 

MOUNTS  THE  PULPIT  A  SECOND  TIME HIS  SUCCESS 

HE   SAILS   FOR    THE   INDIES HIS    ASTONISHMENT  ON 

ARRIVING  THERE. 

Not  choosing  to  leave  Barcelona  like  a  swindler,  I 
returned  to  my  inn,  where  I  paid  my  host ;  then 
resuming  my  road  to  the  port  in  order  to  attend  my 
appointment,  I  arrived  there  with  a  small  portmanteau, 
which  I  carried  under  my  arm,  and  in  wdiich  were  my 
clothes.  The  monks  were  already  on  board,  and 
waited  for  me  with  impatience.  These  good  fathers, 
by  w^ay  of  precaution,  had  provided  themselves  with 
an  abundance  of  viands,  an  !  a  copious  number  of 
bottles  of  the  best  wines  of  La  Mancha,  as  if  they 
had  been  going  to  the  end  of  the  world.  We  weighed 
anchor  the  next  day  before  the  dawn  of  Aurora,  and 
our  vessel  soon  left  the  port  of  Barcelona  far  behind. 
During  the  voj-age,  which,  thank  Heaven,  was  very 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  279 

fortunate,  our  monks  showed  themselves  so  good 
humoured,  that,  far  from  repenting  of  having  enrolled 
myself  in  their  company,  I  incessantly  congratulated 
myself  upon  it,  persuading  myself  that  no  mortals 
were  happier.  I  will  assure  you  that  I  am  this  day 
in  the  same  opinion, 

"Arrived  at  Cadiz,  we  repaired  to  the  monastery  of 
the  order  of  Saint  Dominic.  The  prior  Isidore  received 
my  two  companions  with  distinction,  as  persons  of 
whom  his  house  was  in  need.  He  also  gave  me  a  favour- 
able reception,  as  soon  as  he  heard  that  I  was  a  learned 
licentiate  who  desired  the  habit  of  a  novice.  He  granted 
it  to  me  without  difficulty  on  their  assurance  that  I  was 
born  to  reside  among  them,  as  in  fact  I  had  sufficiently 
let  them  see  on  board  ship,  where  I  accommodated 
myself  wonderfully  well  to  their  mode  of  living. 

"  I  entered  then  upon  my  novitiate,  and,  thanks  be 
to  God,  was  not  disgusted  with  the  monastic  life. 
After  having  professed,  I  was  called  Father  Cyril. 
I  attached  myself  to  the  study  of  theology.  I 
then  took  holy  orders ;  and  finding,  in  my  own 
opinion,  that  I  possessed  talents  for  the  pulpit,  I 
composed  a  sermon,  which  I  had  the  boldness  to 
attempt  delivering  in  the  cathedral  of  Cadiz,  before 
the  Bishop  and  the  Governor.  But  do  you  know 
how  I  acquitted  myself.?  You  shall  learn;  for  my 
sincerity  ought  to  correspond  with  your  own,  and  we 
ought  on  both  sides  to  recount  our  disagreeable 
adventures  with  the  same  candour  as  the  others. 
The  assembly  was  numerous,  and  filled  with  monks 
of  all  orders.  A  congregation  so  enlightened,  but  at 
the  same  time  so  critical  and  jealous,  agitated  me  to 
such  a  degree  that  I  stopped  short  in  the  middle  of 
my  exordium.  In  vain  I  fatigued  my  memory  to 
be  able  to  continue ;  the  rebel  obstinately  refused  me 


28o  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

his  aid,  and  I  was  obliged  to  vanish.  But  before  1 
disappeared  I  said  to  my  auditors,  '  Gentlemen,  I  am 
sorry  for  you  ;  you  loose  a  good  sermon.' 

"You  may  easily  judge  that  these  words,  pro- 
nounced by  a  Bisca}'an,"  continued  Father  Cyril, 
"did  not  fail  to  produce  laughter.  The  Bishop  and 
the  Governor  lost  their  gravity.  All  the  monks,  if 
you  except  those  of  our  order,  left  the  church  stifling 
their  laughter,  and  better  satisfied  than  if  I  had 
preached  to  perfection. 

"  So  unfortunate  a  cou/>  d'essai  did  not  discourage 
me.  On  the  contrary,  to  retrieve  my  honour,  I 
armed  myself  with  audacity,  and  three  months  after 
remounted  the  same  pulpit  from  which  I  had  so 
disagreeably  descended.  Those  of  my  auditors  who 
had  been  witnesses  of  the  trick  which  my  memory 
had  played  me  the  first  time,  expected  perhaps  again 
to  see  me  stop  sh  rt,  and  to  laugh  anew  at  my 
expense  ;  but  they  were  deceived  in  their  expecta- 
ti  ns ;  my  memory  was  faithful,  and  I  was  generally 
applauded.  What  do  I  say  ?  they  found  me  an 
orator  complete,  and  from  that  day  forward  I  was 
placed  on  a  parallel  with  the  most  famous  preachers 
of  Spain  ;  a  thing  which  proves  that  one  may  acquire 
a  reputation  at  very  little  cost.  This  made  me 
redouble  my  efforts  to  merit  the  praises  which  were 
bestowed  on  me,  and  which,  in  spite  of  my  self-love,  I 
was  perfectly  aware  I  did  not  merit.  I  composed  other 
sermons,  with  which  my  auditors  were  so  well  satisfied, 
that  my  name  became  every  day  more  famous. 

"  I  was  enjoying  at  Cadiz  the  general  esteem  of  its 
inhabitants,  when  Father  Isidore  received  a  letter 
from  America.  The  prior  of  Saint  James  of  Guati- 
mala  begged  him  to  send  over  two  skilful  preachers 
to  support  the  reputation  of  our  order  in  that  country. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  281 

I  was  desirous  of  being  one  of  these  holy  labourers: 
less  in  truth  from  apostolic  zeal,  than  from  my  desire 
to  see  those  fine  countries  which  had  been  subdued 
by  the  Spanish  arms,  I  can  affirm  that  it  was  not 
without  repugnance  Father  Isidore  permitted  me  to 
go  to  the  Indies,  not  having  at  that  time  in  his  com- 
munity a  member  of  equal  value.  Nevertheless  he 
had  the  goodness  to  yield  to  my  request,  on  condition 
that  after  some  \-ears  I  should  return  to  Spain. 

"  I  set  out  then  from  Cadiz  with  Father  Bonifacio 
de  Tabara,  who  was  appointed  to  accompany  me. 
The  wind  continued  favourable  until  we  reached  the 
Havannah  ;  thence  we  proceeded  to  Portobello  during 
the  time  of  the  fair,  which  beyond  contradiction  ought 
to  be  accounted  the  finest  in  the  world.  The  prodi- 
gious concourse  of  Spanish  and  Peruvian  merchants, 
of  whom  the  one  description  come  to  buy,  and  the 
other  to  sell  their  goods,  offer  to  the  eyes  a  most 
amusing  spectacle.  As  for  me,  what  I  found  most 
worthy  of  notice,  was  the  great  number  of  mules 
which  I  saw  arrive  from  Panama,  loaded  with  bars 
and  ingots  of  silver.  In  one  hour  I  counted  as  many 
as  two  hundred,  which  were  unloaded  in  the  public 
square;  making  altogether  some  heaps  of  ingots  ex- 
tremel}'  gratif)-ing  to  the  view  of  the  parties  interested. 

"  We  did  not  remain  long  at  Portobello.  We  again 
set  sail  for  Venta  de  Cruzez,  then  Panama,  whence  we 
gained  the  port  of  the  Salinas,  and  afterwards  Cartha- 
gena.  From  this  place  we  went  to  the  town  of 
Grenada,  otherwise  called  Mahomet's  Garden,  from 
whence  we  did  not  long  delay  in  proceeding  to  the 
port  of  Realejo  on  the  coast  of  the  South  Sea,  and  a 
few  days  after  we  arrived  at  the  port  of  the  Trinity," 

Here  I  interrupted  Carambola  rather  bluntly: 
"Hollo!   what   the  deuce,"  said   I,  '*  Signior   Licen- 


282  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

tiate,  you  are  making  a  traveller's  journal.  Do  not 
name  to  me,  I  beg  of  you,  all  the  places  through  which 
you  passed  :  I  acquit  you  of  that  trouble.  I  am  only 
curious  to  hear  your  adventures.  Be  so  good  there- 
fore as  to  make  but  one  leap  from  the  port  of  the 
Trinity  to  Saint  James  of  Guatimala;  for  in  all  ap- 
pearance this  last-named  town  is  the  theatre  of  the 
principal  exploits  you  have  to  relate  to  me." — "  Signior 
Bachelor,"  said  he,  smiling,  "  you  do  wrong  to  com- 
plain :  to  avoid  prolixity,  and  compress  my  story,  I 
have  passed  over  the  tempests  and  other  perils  which  I 
had  to  go  through,  I  have  even  spared  you  the  descrip- 
tions which  I  could  have  given  of  the  places,  of  which 
I  have  simply  told  you  the  names,  and  which  would 
perhaps  be  more  interesting  than  my  own  adventures. 
Go,  you  have  interrupted  me  very  unreasonably. 

"  But  in  short,"  said  he,  "  since  you  absolutely  desire 
it,  I  will  make  you  a  leap  of  five-and-twenty  leagues, 
by  conveying  you  all  at  once  to  Guatimala.  Permit 
me  fir^t  to  tell  only  one  thing  of  a  most  extraordinary 
nature.  It  is  this:  near  the  town  of  Trinidad  is  seen, 
in  a  deep  hollow  rising  out  of  the  earth  without  any 
intermission,  a  thick  and  black  smoke,  mixed  some- 
times with  sulphur  and  flames  of  fire.  It  is  said  that 
some  travellers,  curious  to  discover  the  cause,  having 
had  the  imprudence  to  approach  it  too  closely,  have 
been  thrown  to  the  earth  half  dead.  The  people  of 
the  country  assure  us,  that  at  a  certain  distance  they 
hear  the  cries  of  persons  in  torment,  and  that  these 
cries  are  accompanied  by  a  noise  of  iron  chains ; 
which  has  caused  the  name  of  Hell  to  be  given  to 
this  horrible  chasm. 

"  Let  us  now  come  to  Guatimala,"  continued  Father 
Cyril :  "  I  will  malce  \'ou  languish  no  longer.  Father 
Bonifacio  and  I  arrived  there,  then ;  but  (what  was 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  283 

extremely  laughable)  we  looked  for  the  town  in  the 
town  itself.  Neither  walls  nor  gates  were  to  be  seen 
at  the  entrance,  and  some  thatched  or  tiled  houses 
were  all  that  presented  themselves  to  our  view.  Sur- 
prised at  this  sight  of  a  town  which  corresponded  so 
ill  with  the  idea  I  had  formed  of  it,  I  said  to  my 
companion  :  'Father,  are  you  not  of  opinion  that  we 
have  done  a  ver\'  foolish  business  in  quitting  Cadiz, 
where  we  were  so  well  off,  to  come  and  preach  here  ? 
To  judge  of  the  citizens  by  their  habitations,  we  shall 
have  nothing  but  mob  for  our  auditors.  Is  this  the 
celebrated  city  of  Guatimala,  that  capital  of  a  king- 
dom three  hundred  leagues  in  extent,  and  where 
there  is,  we  are  told,  a  court,  indep-  ndent  of  that  of 
Mexico,  with  a  first  President,  who,  though  without 
the  title  of  Viceroy,  has  the  authority  of  one  ?  This  is 
what  I  cannot  understand.' — 'Nor  I,  neither,'  replied 
Father  Boniface;  '  I  am  almost  inclined  to  think  that 
they  have  been  playing  tricks  with  us,' 

"Our  astonishment,  however,  was  of  no  long  dura- 
tion. When  we  had  got  beyond  the  thatched  houses 
we  found  some  more  handsomiC,  and,  among  others, 
two  superb  edifices  which  are  in  the  quarter  of  Saint 
Dominic,  that  is  to  say,  the  Jacobins'  convent,  and 
the  nunnery  of  the  Conception.  This  last  in  parti- 
cular, surrounded  by  high  walls  of  an  immense  cir- 
cumference, long  attracted  our  attention:  it  appeared 
to  us  a  town  of  itself  enclosed  in  that  of  Guatimrda. 
There  are  in  this  convent  as  many  as  a  thousand 
females,  including  the  nuns,  boarders,  and  black 
women  who  are  in  their  service. 

"  In  proportion  as  we  advanced  into  this  canital, 
we  found  houses  which  did  it  more  honour  than  the 
first.  We  at  last  presented  ourseives  at  the  gate  of 
the  convent  of  our  fathers,  who  received  us  like  two 


284  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

personages  whose  arrival  was  agreeable  to  them. 
Father  Valentin  Tiraquello,  who  was  at  that  time 
prior,  had  no  sooner  read  the  letter  which  I  presented 
him  from  Father  Isidore,  than  he  gave  us  a  thousand 
testimonies  of  friendship,  and  to  me  in  particular, 
because  the  letter  contained  a  magnificent  eulogium 
on  Father  Cyril,  They  regaled  us  extremely  well, 
and  left  us  some  days  to  repose  ourselves  in. 

"  During  this  time  the  report  ran  in  the  town  that 
two  great  preachers  had  just  arrived  from  Spain. 
Nothing  more  was  requisite  to  set  all  the  Spanish 
families  in  motion,  and,  in  particular,  the  female  part 
of  them.  'When  shall  we  see  them.?'  cried  one, 
'  How  impatient  I  am,' said  another, 'to  hear  these  new 
apostles!'  '  Father  Cyril,' said  the  prior  to  me  one 
day,'  I  can  no  longer  hold  out  against  the  curiosity  of 
the  public  :  the  gentry,  the  courtiers,  the  citizens — all 
the  town  ardently  desire  to  see  you  in  the  pulpit,  to 
judge  if  you  answer  your  great  name.  They  press  me 
to  grant  them  this  satisfaction,  and  I  cannot  help  inces- 
santly promising  them  that  they  shall  have  it' — 'I  will 
fulfil  your  promise,  my  reverend  father,'  said  I ;  '  I  will, 
if  you  please,  preach  to-morrow  in  our  church  to  satisfy 
them.' 


CHAPTER  HI. 

FATHER  CYRIL  PREACHES  TO  THE  SATISFACTION  OF  A 
NUMEROUS  AUDITORY — HE  GOES  ON  THE  FOLLOWING 
DAY     TO    DINE    WITH    THE    BISHOP    OF   GUATIMALA  — 

HIS    VISIT    TO  A    NUMBER  OF  NUNS COLLA  TIONS  AND 

CONCERTS     WHICH     THEY     GIVE    HIM PRIVATE     CON- 
VERSATION    WHICH     THE    BISHOP     HAD    WITH   HIM 

SUBJECT   OF    THIS   CONVERSATION. 

"The  Prior,  finding  me  in  this  mind,  sent  immediate 
notice  to  the  principal  houses,  that   the    Reverend 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  285 

Father  Cyril  would  make  his  first  appearance  on  the 
following  day  at  the  convent  of  the  Jacobins.  This 
news  spread  so  rapidly  over  Guatimala,  that  on  the 
morrow  our  church  was  filled  with  all  the  respectable 
people  in  the  town.  On  one  hand,  the  congregation 
v/as  honoured  with  the  venerable  presence  of  Don 
Francisco  de  Castro,  Bishop  of  Guatimala,  and  on 
the  other,  by  all  the  officers  of  the  Chancery,  from  the 
principal  down  to  the  registrar,  without  mentioning 
the  principal  ladies  of  the  town,  all  dressed  out  with 
the  most  extraordinary  magnificence.  As  soon  as 
I  entered  the  pulpit  there  arose  a  slight  murmur, 
which  appeared  to  me  to  be  caused  by  my  pigmy- 
like figure,  for  nothing  escapes  notice  :  but  I  had  not 
finished  my  exordium  before  this  disagreeable  noise 
was  followed  by  one  of  a  more  flattering  nature  ;  and 
ever)'  one,  forgetting  in  a  manner  that  he  saw  me, 
listened  to  me  with  attention. 

"  If  I  had  had  the  happiness  of  pleasing  at  Cadiz, 
I  had  it  in  a  more  eminent  degree  at  Guatimala. 
To  say  all  in  a  word,  I  gained  the  approbation  of  my 
auditors,  and  obtained  the  esteem  of  the  bishop,  who 
sent  to  me  the  next  morning  to  invite  me  to  dine, 
together  with  the  Prior,  at  the  episcopal  palace. 

"This  good  prelate,  who,  although  a  septuagenar\', 
had  not  yet  an  air  of  antiquity,  overloaded  me  wirii 
compliments.  He  congratulated  Father  Valentin  on 
having  a  person  so  capable  as  I  was  of  doing  honour 
to  the  order  of  Saint  Dominic.  Judge  whether 
his  lordship's  praises  failed  to  tickle  the  heart  of  a 
Biscayaru  I  inwardly  relished  them  ;  but  the  more 
I  found  my  vanity  flattered,  the  more  modest  did  I 
uppear,  like  all  other  authors  when  they  are  praised 
in  tiieir  own  presence. 

"Besides  the   esteem   of  this  prelate,  I   attracted 


286  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

that  of  the  principal  courtiers,  who  unanimously 
praised  me,  so  that  it  was  decided  that  little  Father 
Cyril  was  the  Cor\-phaeus  of  preachers  in  the  Indies. 
I  pleased  not  only  people  of  the  world  ;  my  reputation 
penetrated  the  walls  of  the  monastery  of  the  Con- 
ception. The  nuns  were  desirous  of  hearing  me,  and 
I  delighted  them.  Some  of  them  wrote  to  me  to 
testify  in  how  great  a  degree  they  were  satisfied  with 
my  sermon,  and  to  invite  me  to  go  and  see  them  at 
the  grate ;  which  I  failed  not  to  do  when  I  was 
informed  that  at  Guatimala,  as  well  as  at  Mexico, 
the  monks  freely  visit  the  nuns,  who  converse  with 
them  in  the  parlours,  and  sometimes  entertain  them 
with  collations  accompanied  by  music.  This  hap- 
pened to  myself  on  the  very  first  visit  I  made  to 
those  ladies  who  had  written  me  such  obliging  letters. 
They  regaled  me  with  confections,  and  made  me 
listen  to  some  very  fine  voices  ;  among  others,  that 
of  the  young  mother  Donna  Angela  de  IVIontalvan, 
daughter  of  an  officer  of  the  court,  and  a  person, 
perhaps,  of  the  greatest  merit  in  the  world. 

"  One  sees  few  women,  who,  with  great  beauty, 
have  not  a  defective  figure,  or,  perhaps,  a  contracted 
mind;  but  it  may  be  said  that  Nature,  in  forming 
Donna  Angela,  was  desirous  of  effecting  a  work  of 
perfection.  It  is  most  certain  that  this  nun,  who  had 
but  just  entered  on  her  fifth  lustrum,  was  an  incom- 
parable girl.  She  understood  music  thoroughly,  and 
joined  to  a  ravishing  voice  a  superior  genius.  She 
addressed  me  two  or  three  times  with  such  spright- 
liness  and  with  an  air  so  gracious,  that  I  imagined  I 
beheld  an  angel.  She  enchanted  both  my  eyes  and 
my  ears. 

"  I  left  the  convent  of  the  Conception,  and  returned 
home,  much  taken  with  the  politeness  of  the  nuns, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  2S7 

and  perhaps  too  much  with  the  merit  of  the  young 
devotee  of  whom  I  have  spoken.  *  Well,  Father 
Cyril/  said  our  Prior,  'are  you  satisfied  with  our 
neighbours?' — 'I  have  reason  to  be  so,'  said  I. 
'  These  ladies  regaled  me  with  confections,  and  a 
concert  marvellously  well  executed.' — '  I  have  no 
doubt  of  it,'  replied  Father  Valentin,  '  particularly  if 
the  Mother  de  Montalvan  took  a  part  in  it.' — 'Yes, 
truly,  did  she,'  said  I ;  '  she  sang  in  it,  and  I  thought 
her  voice  admirable.' — '  You  must  also  have  remarked,' 
replied  he,  '  that  this  girl  is  possessed  of  an  uncommon 
beauty.' — 'That  is  what  I  paid  no  attention  to,'  said 
I,  with  a  hypocritical  air:  'I  thought  of  nothing  but 
listening  to  her.'  This  was  not  altogether  true  ;  for 
no  sooner  had  the  touching  sounds  of  Angela's  voice 
reached  my  ears,  than  I  looked  at  nothing  else  but 
her ;  but  I  did  not  dare  acknowledge  that  I  had 
made  this  observation,  for  fear  I  should  appear  to 
him  to  have  been  too  deeply  interested  in  it. 

"  '  I  am  sorry,'  returned  the  Prior,  who  was  a  simple, 
natural  kind  of  man,  '  that  you  did  not  attentively 
consider  the  Mother  de  Montalvan ;  you  would  have 
seen  a  celestial  face.  Signior  Don  Francisco  de 
Castro,  our  Bishop,  has  a  most  particular  esteem  for 
her.  He  goes  every  day  to  see  her,  and  every  day 
sends  her  presents.  He  might  be  suspected  of  being 
enamoured  of  her,  if  his  consummate  virtue  and  his 
great  age  did  not  put  his  Excellency  above  such 
suspicion  :  but  the  world  do  justice  to  this  venerable 
prelate,  and  all  the  town,  as  well  as  myself,  are  per- 
suaded that  he  has  for  this  lady  only  a  pure  and 
delicate  friendship.'  If  I  had  not  known  Father 
Valentin  to  be  a  man  incapable  of  slandering  his 
neighbo'ir,  and  particularly  his  bishop,  I  should  have 
thought  that  he  was  not  speaking  seriously  ;  never- 


288  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  ; 

theless  he  thought  what  he  said,  so  great  was  his 
opinion  of  his  lordship's  virtue. 

"Two  days  after  having  been  to  visit  the  nuns  of 
the  Conception,  a  gentleman  called  upon  me  from 
the  prelate,  to  say  that  his  Excellency  desired  to 
speak  to  me.  I  immediately  went  to  the  palace, 
where  Signior  Don  Francisco  having  taken  me  into 
his  closet,  addressed  me  in  the  most  obliging  and 
flattering  terms;  then  all  on  a  sudden  changing  the 
subject,  'Father  Cyril,'  said  he,  'I  have  need  of  )'ou, 
to  succeed  in  a  design  which  I  have  in  contemplation. 
I  flatter  myself  you  will  not  refuse  your  assistance. 
The  nuns  of  the  Conception,  who  lost  their  Superior 
about  a  fortnight  ago,  are  about  to  elect  another. 
I  am  desirous  that  their  choice  should  fall  on  the 
Mother  de  Montalvan.  It  will  be  necessary  to  form 
a  vigorous  faction  in  her  favour.  I  have  already 
been  able  to  gain  over  some  of  these  ladies :  they 
have  promised  me  their  votes,  and  I  am  confident  of 
having  the  majority  if  you  second  me.' 

"'My  lord,'  replied  I,  'you  may  dispose  of  your 
servant :  lay  your  commands  on  me ;  what  am  I  to 
do  ? ' — '  I  know,'  replied  he,  '  that  you  have  made  ac- 
quaintance with  several  nuns  of  this  monastery,  and 
that  they  have  conceived  the  highest  esteem  for  you. 
I  shall  be  much  obliged  by  your  speaking  to  them 
successively  in  private  about  the  approaching  elec- 
tion, and  employing  j-our  eloquence  to  bring  them  to 
the  way  of  thinking  which  I  desire.' 

"'I  do  not  think,  my  lord,'  said  I, 'that  I  shall 
have  much  trouble  in  succeeding  in  this  negotiation. 
I  am  persuaded  that  all  the  nuns  will  readily  conform 
To  \'our  Excellency's  sentiments.' — '  I  doubt  it,'  cried 
he:  'let  us  not  flatter  ourselves.  The  extreme  youthi 
of  Angela  is  a  terrible  difiicultv  to  surmount.     There' 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  289 

are  in  this  convent  twenty  nuns  of  high  rank,  who 
have  been  more  than  thirty  years  devoted  to  reb'gion, 
and  whose  conduct  has  alwa\-s  been  irreproachable. 
With  what  eye  will  these  behold  authority  placed 
in  the  hands  of  a  young  nun  .?  However,'  added  he, 
heaving  a  sigh  whicli  showed  me  the  interest  he  took 
in  the  affair,  'this  nun,  young  as  she  is,  deserves  to 
have  the  preference  over  all  her  companions. 

"'You  have  seen  her,'  he  continued,  'you  have  seen 
her  in  the  parlour;  but  she  did  no  more  than  appear 
before  you  for  an  instant.  You  know  not  all  her 
worth  :  )'ou  must  have  seen  her  more  than  once  ;  you 
must,  in  short,  be  acquainted  with  her  to  be  able  to 
estimate  her,  to  perceive  her  merit  in  its  full  extent. 
What  wit  she  has  !  If  she  open  her  mouth  to  speak, 
it  is  a  boji  mot  which  escapes  her.  If  a  subject  is  to 
be  argued,  her  reasons  are  just  and  solid.  A  girl  of 
twenty!  how  amiable  is  this!  But  what  can  never 
be  sufficiently  praised,  and  which  alone  renders  her 
worthy  of  being  superior,  is  her  extreme  mildness : 
liappx'  consequence  of  her  temperament  and  her  virtue! 
Exempt  from  those  sallies  of  humour  which  the  most 
sensible  persons  cannot  at  all  times  restrain,  she  con- 
verses with  a  tranquillity  of  soul  which  nothing  can 
disturb.  In  a  word,  she  unites  in  her  person  every 
amiable  and  estimable  quality.  It  is  this  rare  merit 
which  interests  me  for  her;  and,  between  ourselves, 
I  do  not  think  that  her  youth  ought  to  exclude  her 
from  a  rank  for  which  I  consider  her  born.* 

"I  saw  very  plainly  by  this  discourse  that  his  lord- 
ship suffered  himself  to  be  rather  too  much  swayed 
by  his  pure  and  delicate  friendship  for  Angela,  and 
his  project  appeared  to  me  extravagant.  Neverthe- 
less (what  I  shall  reproach  m}'self  for  all  my  life), 
instead   of  combating,  and   representing  to  him  the 

T 


290  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

folly  of  it,  I  approved  of  it  against  mj^  conscience,  in 
order  to  pay  court  to  the  prelate  and  get  into  his  good 
graces.  It  is  thus  that  the  great  find  almost  always, 
among  common  persons,  ministers  ready  to  serve 
their  passions.  I  assured  his  Excellency  that  I  de- 
voted myself  entirely  to  him.  and  that  I  was  about 
to  do  my  utmost  to  acquit  myself  successfully  of  the 
commission  with  which  he  honoured  me.  The  old 
bishop,  delighted  with  the  zeal  I  evinced  in  his  service, 
embraced  me  affectionately  ;  and  by  his  embraces, 
which  flattered  my  vanity,  put  the  finishing  stroke  to 
confirming  me  in  this  silly  enterprise. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OF   THE  EXERTIONS  WHICH  FATHER  CYRIL  MADE    TO    GIVR 
SUCCESS    TO    THE  BISHOP'S  FACTION — WHAT  WAS    THE 

RESULT AN    UNEXPECTED    DISTURBANCE  ARISES   AT 

THE  CONVENT  GATES — CONSEQUENCE  OF  THIS  EVENT. 

"To  show  the  more  haste,  I  made  but  one  leap  from 
the  episcopal  palace  to  the  monastery  of  the  Con- 
ception. I  saw  there  the  nuns  with  whom  I  was 
acquainted,  and  conversed  separately  with  each  of 
them.  I  found  them  very  much  opposed  to  the  will 
of  the  prelate;  but  the  opposition  of  each  did  but 
afford  a  triumph  to  my  rhetoric.  This  encouraged 
me.  I  then  spoke  to  others  of  the  community,  and 
principally  to  some  of  those  who,  thinking  they  them- 
selves deserved  the  preference,  looked  upon  it  as  in- 
tolerable injustice  that  it  should  be  decided  in  favour 
of  a  person  of  two  and  twenty.  You  will  easily  be- 
lieve that  these  ancient  mothers  did  not  easily  yield. 
Nevertheless,  shocked  as  they  were  at  what  I  pro- 
posed, I  succeeded  at  last  in  inducing  them  to  comply 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  291 

wiih  it;  as  if  I  had  had  the  talent  of  Carneades*  for 
persuasion.  In  short,  I  succeeded  so  well,  that  in 
less  than  a  week  I  secured  the  vote  of  the  greater 
part  of  these  ladies. 

"  I  carried  these  agreeable  news  to  m}'  lord,  who 
received  them  with  inexpressible  transports  of  joy, 
and  gave  me  thanks  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart. 
He  made  me,  besides,  a  present  of  a  gold  watch, 
which  he  obliged  me  to  accept,  and  which  I  received, 
although  a  Dominican.  After  having  given  me  a 
thousand  marks  of  affection,  he  begged  me  to  go  and 
see  the  young  Mother  de  Montalvan,  and  inform  her 
of  the  happy  effect  of  my  exertions  ;  which  I  readily 
did.  I  gave  her  an  account  of  what  I  had  done  for 
her,  and  assured  her  that  in  all  likelihood  she  could 
not  fail  of  becoming  Superior.  Upon  this  she 
thanked  me  for  my  pains,  and  gave  loose  to  her 
gratitude  in  terms  and  with  an  air  which  enchanted 
me.  How^  agreeable  did  I  find  her!  I  admired  those 
estimable  qualities  which  caused  his  lordship  so 
warmly  to  interest  himself  in  her  behalf. 

"  However,  the  day  of  election  arrived,  and  we 
should  doubtless  have  had  a  majority  of  votes,  if  all 
the  ancient  mothers  of  the  community  had  not  united 
in  favour  of  the  Mother  Saint  Bridget,  sister  of  an 
old  president  of  the  Audience,  and  beyond  contra- 
diction the  most  worthy  subject  among  them.  This 
unioii,  which  we  had  not  foreseen,  and  which  after 
all  we  could  not  have  prevented,  disconcerted  our 
enterprise.  Discord  was  raised  in  the  convent ;  and 
farther,  the  report  having  spread  in  the  town  that  it 
was  intended  to  elect  for  Superior  a  nun  of  two  and 

*  Caio  the  Cei^sor  was  for  banishing  the  philosopher  Carneades, 
because  by  his  eloquence  he  bewildered  the  mind  in  such  a  way  that  i' 
was  not  possible  to  distinguish  truth  from  falsehood. 


292  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

twenty,  several  of  the  principal  inhabitants  took  fire 
on  the  subject.  They  ran  sword  in  hand  to  the 
monastery,  threatening  to  force  open  the  gates,  to 
defend  their  daughters  against  the  faction  raised  by 
the  bishop  in  favour  of  the  Mother  de  Montalvan.  It 
was  necessary,  in  order  to  appease  the  tumult,  that 
the  father  of  this  lady  should  go  to  the  monastery, 
and  exert  the  power  he  had  over  his  daughter  to 
engage  her  to  desist  from  her  pretensions:  this  I 
believe  she  did  with  regret,  for  this  little  lady  was  as 
ambitious  as  beautiful.  By  this  means  the  disorder 
ceased,  and  peace  was  re-established  both  in  the 
town  and  the  convent.  Thus  the  Mother  Angela  was 
compelled  to  remain  a  simple  nun,  and  to  content 
herself  with  being  the  prettiest  of  the  community, 
which  some  of  her  companions  would  have  preferred 
to  the  honour  of  being  Superior. 


CHAPTER  V. 

HOIV,    AFTER    THE   BUSINESS    OP    THE    ELECTION,     FATHER 

CYRIL    BECAME    PARISH   PRIEST   OF   PETAPA OF  THE 

ADVANTAGES  HE  FOUND  IN  HIS  CURE HE  LEARNS  THE 

PROCONCHI    WITH    FACILITY SINGULAR    MANNER    IN 

WHICH     THE    INDIANS    CELEBRATE     THE    PATRON    OF 

THEIR    CHURCHES. 

"  I  KNOW  not  whether  the  bishop  or  I  looked  most 
foolish  of  the  two  after  this  adventure,  which  made  a 
terrible  noise  in  the  city  of  Guatimala.  This  prelate, 
whom  I  have  never  seen  since  that  time,  was  so 
mortified  with  having  been  foiled  in  an  aft'air  of  so 
interesting  a  nature,  that  he  came  to  the  resolution  of 
shutting  himself  up  in  his  palace,  to  hide  his  con- 
fusion from  the  malignant  view  of  the  public.  On  my 
part,  monk  as  I  was,  I  was  not  nuicb  less  ashamed 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  2yj 

than  himself.  I  dared  not  show  myself;  for,  as  I 
was  known  in  the  town  for  one  whose  fault  it  was  not 
that  the  Mother  de  Montalvan  was  not  abbess,  the 
sight  of  me  might  have  excited  hisses.  For  all  the 
gold  in  the  world  I  would  not  then  have  preached  in 
Guatimala,  imagining  that  I  was  no  longer  looked  on 
but  as  the  secret  agent  of  Signior  Don  Francis  de 
Castro.  This  idea  gave  me  so  much  pain,  that  I 
resolved  to  abandon  my  residence  in  this  town,  how- 
ever agreeable  it  was. 

'•'  I  communicated  my  design  to  the  prior,  who, 
judging  like  myself  that  after  what  had  passed  I 
actually  had  reason  to  wish  myself  out  of  Guatimala, 
replied  :  '  Father  C}'ril,  I  am  of  your  opinion.  Yoti 
will  do  well  to  disappear  for  some  time.  Father 
Boniface,  next  to  )-ou  the  best  preacher  of  our  order, 
will  preach  here  during  }-our  absence.  I  have,'  con- 
tinued he,  '  a  solid  establishment  to  propose  to  }'ou. 
You  know  that  we  are  collators  of  almost  all  the 
cures  in  the  environs  of  Guatimala.  I  ofier  )'Ou  the 
most  considerable,  which  is  that  of  Petapa,  a  large 
market-town  about  six  leagues  from  hence.  Father 
Estefano,  one  of  our  monks,  who  has  had  it  more 
than  thirty  \-ears,  needs  repose,  and  demands  a 
successor.  Go  to  him,  and  act  as  his  coadjutor  unt'l 
he  shall  abandon  his  place  in  your  favour,  which  he 
will  doubtless  do  as  soon  as  he  shall  have  instructed 
you  in  the  language  of  the  Indians.  I  promise  you 
that  you  will  do  very  well  in  that  country,  which  is, 
besides,  one  of  the  most  deiicious  in  America.' 

"  I  set  out  then  from  Guatimala,  carrying  a  letter 
from  Father  Valentin  to  the  old  curate  of  Petapa.  I 
was  mounted  on  a  mule  from  the  stables  of  our 
convent,  and  an  Indian  accompanied  me  on  foot.  In 
order  to   follow   exactlv  the  instructions   which  the 


294  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

prior  had  given  me,  I  stopped  at  Mixco,  a  village 
near  Petapa,  and  remained  there  until  the  following 
day,  that  the  Alcades  and  Regidors,  whom  I  caused 
to  be  apprised  of  my  arrival,  might  have  time  to 
prepare  for  receiving  me,  as  they  commonly  receive 
the  priests  and  monks  who  come  to  be  their  pastors  ; 
I  mean  with  a  pomp  which  fully  marks  the  respect 
and  consideration  they  have  for  them.  Accordingly 
they  preceded  me  on  the  following  day  for  about  a 
league  with  singers,  trumpeters,  and  hautboy-players. 
Besides  this  I  found,  on  entering  the  town,  triumphal 
arches  decorated  with  branches  of  trees,  and  the 
streets  through  which  I  had  to  pass  were  strewed 
with  flowers. 

"I  was  thus  ceremoniously  conducted  to  the  Pres- 
bytery, where  Father  Estefano,  after  having  read  my 
letter  of  credit,  gave  me  a  reception  such  as  might 
have  gratified  a  pastor  more  vain  than  myself.  This 
good  Jacobin,  though  advanced  in  years,  appeared 
still  robust,  and  enjoyed  an  old  age  exempt  from 
infirmities.  With  all  the  good  sense  he  had  had  in 
his  best  days,  he  preserved  a  gaiety  of  humour  which 
made  him  agreeable  in  society.  'I  see  very  plainly,' 
said  he,  'by  this  letter  that  Father  Valentin  is  giving 
me  a  successor  who  will  soon  cause  the  loss  of  me  to 
be  forgotten  among  the  inhabitants  of  Petapa. 

"*I  am  greatly  rejoiced  at  it,'  continued  he,  'and  I 
would  leave  this  to-morrow  to  go  and  finish  my  holy 
career  in  some  one  of  our  cloisters,  if  you  would  not 
be  in  want  of  me ;  but  I  am  necessary  to  you  to  teach 
you  the  Proconchi,  which  is  the  language  of  the 
Indians,  and  which  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  a 
priest  should  be  acquainted  with  in  this  town,  where 
they  scarcely  speak  any  Spanish,  the  officers  and  the 
gentry  being  almost  all  of  Indian  race      The  talent 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  295 

which  you  have  for  preaching  would  be  useles's  to  you 
here,  unless  you  learn  the  Proconchi :  did  not  Father 
Valentin  tell  you  this?'  —  'Pardon  me,'  replied  I, 
'truly  he  did  represent  to  me  the  necessity  of  it;  but 
he  told  me  at  the  same  time,  that  you  would  instruct 
me  in  it  in  less  than  three  months.' — '  He  told  you 
truth,'  replied  Father  Estefano;  'I  am  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  this  idiom.  I  have  even  composed 
a  grammar  and  a  dictionary  in  the  Indian  language, 
and  these  two  works  have  had  the  honour  of  being 
approved  of  by  the  Academy  of  Petapa.' 

"  At  this  word  academy  I  burst  out  laughing. 
'How!'  cried  I, 'there  is  an  academy  in  this  town. 
There  is  not  then  a  small  town  without  one!' — 'This 
is  much  celebrated,'  returned  Father  Estefano,  with  a 
very  serious  air  ;  '  by  the  same  token  that  I  am  an  old 
member  of  this  respectable  body,  into  which  you  will 
also  enter  shortly ;  for  I  design  immediately  to  qualify 
you  for  preaching  to  the  Indians  in  Proconchi;  and 
when  you  shall  be  well  acquainted  with  this  language, 
the  members  of  the  academy  will  send  two  deputies 
of  their  company  to  offer  you  a  place  among  them: 
of  this  I  can  assure  you,' 

"At  so  flattering  an  assurance,  I  manifested  so 
much  desire  to  learn  Proconchi,  that,  without  loss  of 
time,  he  instructed  me  in  the  first  principles.  I  pro- 
fited so  well  by  his  instructions,  and  applied  so  closely 
to  study,  that  in  three  months  I  became  capable  of 
composing  in  that  tongue  an  exhortation  which  I 
learned  by  heart,  and  had  the  boldness  to  deliver  in 
public ;  in  which  I  was  so  successful,  that  the  Indian 
connoisseurs  looked  on  me  from  that  moment  as  one 
who  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  academy. 

"  If  you  ask  me  the  nature  of  the  Proconchi  idiom, 
I  will  answer  you  that  it  is  a  tongue  which  has  it^ 


296  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAWANCA. 

declensions  and  its  conjugations,  and  that  you  may 
learn  it  as  easily  as  Greek  or  Latin ;  more  easily, 
indeed,  because  it  is  a  living  tongue,  which  one  may 
possess  in  a  short  time  b}'  conversing  with  Indian 
purists.  For  the  rest,  it  is  harmonious,  and  more 
loaded  with  figures  and  metaphors  than  even  our 
own.  If  an  Indian  who  prides  himself  on  speaking 
Proconchi  well,  desire  to  make  you  a  compliment,  he 
will  employ  in  it  only  fantastical  singular  thoughts, 
and  laboured  expressions.  It  is  an  obscure  inflated 
style,  a  glowing  verbiage,  a  pompous  nonsense;  but 
this  IS  what  forms  its  excellence.  It  is  the  tone  of 
the  academy  of  Petapa. 

"I  had  little  difficulty  in  conforming  to  it,  the 
Bisca}'an  genius  being  friendly  to  obscurity.  I  made 
such  rapid  progress  in  the  language  of  the  Indians, 
that  the  old  curate  seeing  me  qualified  worthily  to 
replace  him,  put  me  in  possession  of  his  cure,  and  set 
out  for  Guatimala,  there  to  pass  the  rest  of  liis  days. 

"  After  his  departure  I  remained  master  of  the 
parsonage,  where  I  be^an  living  in  the  style  of  one 
who  holds  a  good  benefice:  for  till  that  time,  be  it 
said  without  offence  to  anybody.  Father  Estefano, 
for  fear  no  doubt  of  turning  me  from  the  study  of 
the  Proconchi,  had  taken  the  trouble  of  receiving 
himself  the  whole  of  the  revenue  of  the  cure,  which 
did  not  amount  to  less  than  two  thousand  crowns  of 
good  Spanish  money.  This  monk,  with  many  good 
qualities,  had  one  bad  one ;  he  was  avaricious.  Of  this 
he  had  made  me  perfecth'  sensible  by  the  frugality 
which  I  had  seen  prevail  in  our  repasts,  composed 
almost  entire!}-  of  butter,  cocoa,  and  detestable  liquors. 
For  this  reason,  the  first  trouble  I  conceived  I  ought 
to  despatch,  \v?,s  that  of  having  a  better  table,  and 
enlarging  the  number  of  my  domestics.     I  took  into 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  297 

my  service  a  black  whom  one  of  our  alcades  gave 
me  as  a  skilful  cook,  and  with  whom  I  was  in  fact 
well  satisfied. 

"  This  black,  whose  name  was  Zamor,  had  been 
scullion  at  the  house  of  a  President  of  the  Audience 
of  Gautimala,  and  had  there  learned  the  business  of 
the  kitchen.  He  served  up  to  me  every  day  some 
new  dish  which  bore  ample  testimony  to  his  skill  and 
tickled  my  sensuality.  Sometimes  he  gave  me  pud- 
dings made  with  Indian  corn  and  fowl  or  fresh  pork, 
seasoned  with  chili  or  long  pepper,  and  sometimes  he 
regaled  me  with  a  stewed  hedgehog,  or  occasionally 
with  a  sort  of  lizard  which  they  call  iguana,  which 
has  black  and  green  scales  on  its  back,  and  resembles 
a  scorpion." 

Father  Carambola,  remarking  at  this  passage  that 
I  was  making  wry  faces,  could  not  help  laughing. 
"  Signior  Bachelor,"  said  he,  "  it  appears  to  me  that 
the  viands  of  which  I  am  speaking  do  not  make 
your  mouth  water." — "  No,  I  protest  to  you,"  replied 
I,  "  they  are  more  calculated  to  turn  an  honest  man's 
stomach  than  to  flatter  his  palate  :  I  will  never  have 
Zamor  for  my  cook."—"  Nevertheless,"  replied  Father 
Cyril,  "  I  assure  you  that  these  ragouts  are  not  so 
bad  as  you  imagine  ;  and  I  am  persuaded  that  if  you 
had  once  come  across  them,  you  would  render  them 
more  justice.  A  hedgehog  and  an  iguana  well 
cooked  and  seasoned  have  an  exquisite  flavour  ;  any 
one  eating  of  either  would  suppose  it  a  rabbit.  The 
Spaniards,  as  well  as  the  Indians,  conform  very 
generally  to  such  food  in  the  country  of  Guatimala. 
The  principal  officers  of  the  Chancery  prefer  them  to 
quails,  partridges,  or  pheasants."—"  It  is  all  very  well," 
returned  I ;  "  there  is  good  reason  for  saying  that  one^ 
must  not  argue  upon  tastes." 


298  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

"  God  be  pniised  !  "  cried  the  friar,  as  if  he  had 
not  already  sufficient!)'  extolled  his  hedgehogs  and 
Hzards ;  "  I  protest  to  you  that  I  found  these  viands 
delicious.  I  also  ate  with  pleasure  both  land  and 
sea  turtles ;  and  it  was  to  me  a  feast  of  the  gods, 
when  with  this  ambrosia  I  drank  nectar,  that  is  to 
say,  a  drink  called  by  the  Indians  Chicha,  composed 
of  water  and  the  juice  of  the  sugar-cane,  with  a  little 
honey.  Nevertheless,  excellent  as  was  this  beverage, 
I  became  disgusted  with  it  when  I  found  that,  in 
order  to  give  it  strength,  they  throw  into  the  vessel 
in  which  it  is  made  some  leaves  of  tobacco,  and  some- 
times a  live  toad,  and  that  it  often  causes  the  death 
of  people  who  have  drunk  too  freely  of  it.  I  there- 
fore renounced  Chicha  as  soon  as  I  found  in  what 
manner  it  was  made,  and  stuck  to  other  drinks,  which 
it  must  be  acknowledged  were  not  equal  to  the  wines 
which  are  drunk  in  Europe  ;  but  thanks  be  to  Heaven, 
one  gets  accustomed  to  everything. 

"  With  my  cook  Zamor,  I  had  besides  four  other 
domestics :  one  who  waited  at  table,  and  did  my 
errands  to  the  town  ;  another  whose  employment 
was  to  go  out  to  collect  my  tithes,  which  consisted  in 
eggs,  poultry,  and  a  certain  sum  of  money  which  was 
regularly  paid  me  every  month  by  the  regidors ;  a 
gardener,  with  a  valet  and  a  groom ;  for  I  kept  a 
mule  to  carry  me  when  I  went  to  preach  in  a  little 
village  about  three  leagues  from  Petapa.  This  httle 
village,  which  was  called  Mixco,  produced  me  a  great 
revenue.  I  went  there  often,  and  never  without 
bringing  home  half  a  dozen  fowls  at  least,  with  cocoa 
to  make  my  chocolate,  without  counting  the  money 
given  me  for  my  mass  and  my  sermons  :  for,  notwith- 
» standing  I  had  to  do  with  auditors  very  little  capable 
of  deriving  advantage  from  my  exhortations,  I  did 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  299 

not  fail  always  to  mount  the  pulpit  and  preach  to 
some  purpose ;  so  that  my  presbytery  was  well  fur- 
nished with  provisions. 

"  As  each  village  is  dedicated  to  some  saint,  whose 
festival  the  inhabitants  celebrate  during  eight  days, 
the  patron  of  Mixco  is  highly  honoured  during  his 
octave,  and  the  curate  has  every  reason  to  be  satisfied 
with  the  offerings  he  receives.  The  brethren  of  St. 
Hyacinth  rejoice  in  a  manner  which,  in  my  opinion, 
deserves  to  be  succinctly  detailed  to  you.  On  the 
first  day,  the  men,  with  the  prettiest  girls  in  the  vil- 
lage, dress  themselves  out  in  fine  silks  or  linen  stuffs, 
ornament  themselves  with  feathers  and  ribbons,  and 
join  together  in  well-concerted  dances,  which  they 
execute  to  perfection.  But,  what  I  by  no  means 
approve,  and  can  only  be  pardoned  in  Indians  who 
are  still  in  idolatr}',  is  that  they  begin  dancing  in  the 
church,  and  continue  it  in  the  churchyard.  After 
this,  the  rest  of  the  eight  days  are  passed  in  banquet, 
prodigally  supplied  with  Chicha,  of  which  all  the 
guests  drink  till  they  are  ready  to  burst. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FATHER  CYRIL  MAKES   HIMSELF  BELOVED  AND  ESTEEMED 

BY      THE    INDIANS INTERESTING    HISTORY    OF     TWO 

BROTHERS     AND     A     SISTER HE    PREACHES    IN   PRO- 

CONCHI,     AND      BY     THE     BEAUTY     OF    HIS     SERMONS 
OBTAINS  A  PLACE  IN  THE  ACADEMY  OF  PET  A  PA. 

*'  I  FEATHERED  my  nest  then  pretty  well,  both  at 
Mixco  and  Petapa.  Though  I  was  obliged  to  send 
three  hundred  crowns  a  year  to  our  house  at  Guati- 
mala,  there  still  remained  with  me  money  enough 
not  to  allow  me  cause  for  envying  the  happiness  of 
the  monks  of  Peru,  who  hold  benefices  in  the  Indian 


300  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

villages,  and  keep  all  they  can  get.  I  was  neither 
less  rich  nor  less  happ^^  Besides  that  I  could  have 
paid  my  convent  five,  instead  of  three  hundred 
crowns,  I  began  to  carry  on  a  little  underhand  traffic 
in  merchandise,  a  thing  which  I  confess  was  a  little 
against  my  vow  of  poverty ;  but  what  would  you 
have?  I  imitated  other  monks,  who  had  good  cures 
like  myself.     Such  is  the  effect  of  bad  example. 

"  The  Indians  of  the  environs  of  Guatimala  are  a 
mild,  gentle  kind  of  people  :  all  they  desire  is  to  live 
in  peace.  They  would  love  even  the  Spaniards  them- 
selves, if  these  would  treat  them  with  humanity.  We 
must,  however,  except  a  species  of  black  slaves  who 
live  in  the  Indigo  farms.  These  are  ferocious  and  for- 
midable fc'.lows.  Though  they  have  no  other  weapon 
tlian  a  small  lance,  they  have  the  boldness  to  face  a 
wild  bull  in  the  height  of  his  fury,  and  to  attack  cro 
codiles  in  the  river,  which  they  do  not  quit  till  the\' 
liave  killed  them  :  such  slaves  sometimes  make  their 
masters  tremble.  As  for  the  Indians  of  Petapa,  I 
pronounce  them  the  best  in  America  :  as  polished  as 
the  others  are  clownish,  they  form  together  a  mild 
society,  in  which  reigns  a  spirit  of  concord  and  fra- 
ternal amity.  But  what  is  the  most  to  be  admired, 
is  their  good  faith  and  integrity.  Of  this  I  will 
recount  to  you  an  instance. 

"A  noble  and  rich  Indian  of  Petapa  died,  and  left 
a  tolerably  large  succession  to  his  daughter  and  two 
sons.  The  eldest  of  the  two  brothers  undertook  to 
divide  it  into  three  equal  portions.  When  he  had 
done  so,  lie  desired  his  brother  and  sister  to  take 
their  choice.  '  You  are  our  elder,'  answered  they ; 
*  It  IS  for  yea  to  choose.' — 'No,'  replied  he,  'since  I 
have  made  the  lots,  it  is  right  that  you  should  take 
which  of  them  you  please.'     The  younger  brother  and 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  301 

the  sister  each  chose  a  lot.  and  the  third  remained  to 
the  elder.  There  was  in  this  latter  a  heavy  coffer,  in 
which  had  been  contrived  a  secret  drawer,  where  he 
discovered  by  chance  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  Hav- 
ing made  this  discovery,  he  invited  his  brother  and 
sister  to  a  repast,  towards  the  end  of  which  he  served 
lliem  up  all  the  money  in  a  dish,  sa)'ing,  '  Here  is  what 
I  found  hid  unknown  to  me  in  a  coffer,  which  fell  to 
my  lot ;  we  must  share  it — ^justice  demands  it.' 

"  I  lived  in  the  most  perfect  union  with  these 
Indians,  who  loved  me,  Spaniard  though  I  was.  I 
amused  myself  with  them  every  day.  I  conversed 
freely,  and  played  at  cards  with  their  wives,  of  whom 
the\'  are  not  jealous,  and  who  for  the  most  part  are 
so  sprightly,  that  it  is  a  pleasure  to  hear  them  speak 
Proconchi.  The  members  of  the  Academy  of  Petapa 
consult  them  too  very  often ;  and  when  in  the  confer- 
ences of  these  gentlemen  their  opinions  are  divided 
upon  any  word,  they  say,  '  We  must  consult  the 
women  on  the  subject.'  This  proves  that  the  Academy 
are  very  gallant. 

"  The  Indian  ladies,  then,  decide,  and  their  decisions 
are  respected,  sometimes  even  in  contempt  of  the 
grammar  of  Father  Estefano.  I  kne"\V,  among  others, 
a  lady  at  whose  house  the  choice  spirits  of  the  town 
assembled,  and  whom  they  listened  to  as  an  oracle  : 
she  expressed  herself  with  wonderful  elegance,  and 
decided  so  judiciously  on  all  works  of  taste,  that  she 
never  found  any  to  contradict  her.  This  lady  was 
wir'-ow  of  a  noble  Indian,  who  had  left  her  wealth 
enough  to  live  in  a  manner  suitable  to  her  quality. 
I  went  often  to  see  her,  and  met  at  her  house,  almost 
every  day,  members  of  the  Academy,  whose  conversa- 
tion I  turned  to  account.  I  retained  everything  re- 
markable which  I  heard  them  say.     I  took  notice  of 


302  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

their  turns,  of  their  expressions  ;  and  I  remarked  that 
these  men  had  a  mode  of  thinking  superior  to  that  of 
ordinary  persons.  In  fine,  by  hstening  to  them  I 
finished  learning  all  the  delicacies  of  the  Proconchi 
language. 

"When  I  thouglit  I  possessed  the  spirit  and  the 
refinements  of  it,  I  was  bold  enough  to  wish  to  preach 
before  the  whole  body  of  tlie  Academy.  But,  in 
order  to  be  sure  of  pleasing  these  masters  of  the 
Indian  language,  I  bethought  ni\self  of  an  expedient 
which  crowned  my  boldness  with  success.  Among 
the  books  which  Father  Estefano,  on  returning  to 
Guatimala,  had  left  to  render  me  perfect  in  Proconchi, 
I  found  besides  his  dictionary  and  grammar,  a  collec- 
tion of  discourses  recently  pronounced  at  the  Academy 
of  Petapa :  I  turned  it  over ;  and  fishing,  as  one  may 
say,  in  troubled  waters,  extracted  the  most  brilliant 
phrases,  the  newest  modes  of  speaking,  and  composed 
from  them  a  sermon  which  struck  the  members  of  the 
Academy  with  wonder.  '  There  was  something  very 
fine  in  it,'  said  they  one  to  the  other;  'this  Jacobin 
says  some  very  good  things,  and  in  a  style  marked 
with  our  stamp.' 

"  What  shall  I  say  .-*  These  gentlemen  were  so 
satisfied  with  my  diction,  or,  if  you  will,  with  their 
own,  that  at  their  first  meeting  they  resolved  to 
associate  me  in  their  glorious  labours.  They  sent  to 
announce  to  me  this  honour  by  two  of  their  deputies. 
I  had  again  recourse  to  my  collection  in  order  to 
compose  a  discourse,  and  the  day  of  my  reception 
being  arrived,  I  returned  my  acknowledgments  to  my 
new  brethren,  delivering  myself  with  effrontery  to 
their  very  beards  in  their  own  phrases." 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  303 

CHAPTER  VII. 

OF  THE  INDIAN  LADIES  OF  PETAPA MARVELLOUS  SECRET 

FOR  RENDERING  A  PERSON  AMOROUS,  AND  OF  WHICH 
THEY  SOME  TIMES  A  VA IL  THEMSEL  VES — OF  THE  GREA  T 
AND  HOLY  ENTERPRISE  WHICH  FATHER  CYRIL  UNDER- 
TOOK, AND   WHA  T  WAS  THE  RESULT  OF  IT. 

Father  Cyril  was  about  to  continue  his  narration, 
but  I  first  asked  him  a  question.  "You  have,"  said 
I,  "  been  just  extolling  the  minds  of  the  Indians  of 
Petapa,  without  saying  anything  of  their  beauty. 
This  does  not  prepossess  me  in  favour  of  their 
charms." — "  They  are  not  less  handsome  than  those 
of  Mexico,"  replied  he,  "  nor  less  neatly  dressed,  but 
their  habiliments  are  of  a  different  kind. 

"  They  wear  instead  of  a  shift,  a  species  of  surplice, 
which  they  call  guiapil,  which  descends  from  the 
shoulders  below  the  waist,  with  very  large  sleeves,  so 
short  that  they  do  not  cover  more  than  half  the  arms. 
This  guiapil  is  ornamented  on  the  stomach  with  some 
work  of  feathers  or  of  cotton,  which  rather  serves  to 
set  off  the  bosom  than  to  hide  it.  With  that  they 
have  bracelets  and  earrings,  but  no  covering  on  the 
head  ;  their  hair  is  only  turned  up  with  silken  fillets. 
They  go  with  the  legs  bare,  and  wear  shoes  fastened 
with  a  large  ribbon. 

"  I  speak  to  you  only  of  rich  women  or  those  of 
quality,  for  the  others  go  barefoot,  and  have  but  a 
simple  mantle  of  wool,  which  they  wrap  round  them; 
a  thing  which  at  first  view  does  not  dazzle  the  eyes. 
Nevertheless,  though  these  have  not  a  seducing  ap- 
pearance at  the  first  glance,  they  do  not  fail  to  make 
their  conquests.  There  are  some  noble  Indians  and 
Spaniards  of  capricious  taste  who  court  them:  they 
go  secretly  to  see  them  in  their  thatched  cabins,  where 


304  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

all  the  dwelling  consists  in  one  low  room,  in  the 
middle  of  which  these  Indians  make  a  fire  for  dressingr 
their  food  :  and  as  there  is  no  vent  in  the  roof  of  the 
cabin,  the  smoke  necessarily  fills  the  whole  room  in 
such  a  manner,  that  it  may  be  said  of  these  gallants, 
that  being  there  as  in  an  oven,  they  are  smothered 
with  love  and  smoke. 

"  Let  us  return  to  the  wives  of  the  principal  Indians. 
These  inhabit  houses  better  built  and  better  furnished. 
When  they  go  to  church  or  on  a  visit,  they  wear  a 
veil  of  Holland,  Spanish,  or  Chinese  linen,  which 
covers  the  head,  and  descends  to  the  ground  ;  but 
when  they  return  home,  they  let  down  the  upper  part 
of  the  guiapil  so  effectually  as  to  leave  the  neck  and 
shoulders  bare.  It  is  true  that,  either  through  decency 
or  affectation,  they  speedily  replace  the  guiapil  if  a 
man  come  to  visit  them.  I  say  from  affectation,  for 
they  are  not  naturally  either  cruel  or  hypocritical. 
Far  from  arming  themselves  against  the  young  men 
who  court  them,  they  usually  give  them  fair  play. 
In  short,  they  are  gallant  like  the  other  Indians  ;  but 
at  the  same  time  very  superstitious.  Whatever  incli- 
nation they  may  feel  for  a  man  who  courts  them, 
they  will  not  yield  to  his  love  until  they  have  con- 
sulted the  flight  and  the  song  of  birds,  or  made 
observations  on  the  meeting  of  animals  who  are 
passing  along  the  roads.  If  from  these  they  draw  a 
favourable  omen,  the  gallant  has  everything  to  hope 
for,  instead  of  which,  if  they  conceive  from  them  an 
unfavourable  presage,  he  has  only  to  seek  his  fortune 
elsewhere. 

"Some  of  these  Indians  carry  superstition  farther, 
and  resort  to  magic  to  secure  the  success  of  their 
entei  prises.  I  remember  that  one  of  them,  wishing 
to  irspire  with  love  an  Indian  girl,  whose  heart  he 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  305 

knew  to  be  otherwise  engaged,  composed  an  amorous 
philter  which  rendered  her  unfaithful." 

"What  is  it  you  are  saying,  Father  Cyril  ?  "  inter- 
rupted I,  laughing.  "You  are  using  the  traveller's 
license  ;  you  are  relating  fables." — "  There  is  no 
disputing  facts,"  said  he,  "and  what  I  relate  to  you 
is  one  of  which  I  was  myself  a  witness.  I  can  tell 
}ou,  moreover,  that  the  philter  was  composed  of  the 
powder  of  the  colibri.  The  colibri,"  added  he,  "is  a 
bird  of  brilliant  plumage,  and  nearly  about  the  size 
of  a  starling.  They  put  it  to  dry  in  the  sun,  then 
pulverise  it  ;  and  this  fatal  powder,  mixed  in  wine  or 
any  other  liquor,  conveys  the  poison  of  love  into  the 
heart  of  the  person  whom  it  is  desired  to  inflame, 
according  to  the  intentions  of  him  who  performs  the 
charm.  Do  not  give  faith,  unless  you  please,  to  what 
I  have  told  you  ;  but  it  is  certain  that  several  Indians 
have  assured  me  of  having  seen  this  powder  used 
with  success.  The  woman  who  employed  it  so  effica- 
ciously, herself  avowed  it  to  me." 

In  vain  the  monk  would  have  had  me  seem  per- 
suaded of  this,  in  vain  he  protested  that  nothing  was 
more  true  ;  I  could  not  believe  him.  Nevertheless, 
it  will  be  seen  in  the  event,  by  an  adventure  which 
happened  to  m\-self,  that  the  story  of  the  Indian 
lover  detached  from  his  mistress  by  sorcery,  might 
probabl}'  not  be  a  fable. 

"  To  finislf  describing  to  you  the  Indians  of  Pe- 
tapa,"  pursued  Father  Cyril,  "  I  must  tell  you  that 
they  profess  the  Catholic  religion  only  to  outward 
view.  What  passes  their  comprehension  meets  in 
them  with  nothing  but  incredulity.  My  efforts  to 
convert  them  were  useless,  though  I  emplo)'ed  for 
that  purpose  the  most  energetic  expressions  in  the 
Procon  :hi   language.     These  intractable  and  super- 

U 


3o6  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

stitious  spirits  adore  in  secret  their  idols  of  stone  and 
wood.  Tliey  preserve  in  their  houses  with  rehgious 
care  a  toad  or  some  similar  animal,  to  the  life  of 
which  they  firmly  believe  that  their  own  is  attached. 

"  When  I  say  they  adore  their  idols  in  secret,  it  is 
to  be  understood  that  they  would  not  dare  to  offer 
them  public  worship.  The  Spaniards  prevent  this, 
and  treat  their  false  divinities  very  roughly  when  they 
have  the  misfortune  to  fall  into  their  hands.  But  of 
this  these  idolaters  take  particular  care.  They  gener- 
ally hide  them  in  some  cavern,  of  which  they  close  up 
the  mouth,  and  in  which  they  assemble  at  night,  as  in 
a  pagod,  to  adore  them.  If,  unfortunately  for  them, 
their  pastors  be  informed  of  these  nocturnal  meetings, 
it  is  for  him  to  put  them  in  order;  which  he  can  do 
by  demanding  assistance  from  the  alcades  and  re- 
gidors,  who,  to  show  themselves  zealous  Catholics, 
fail  not  to  supply  him  with  Spanish  soldiers  to  escort 
him  and  demolish  their  idols.  But  expeditions  of 
this  kind  are  not  without  danger  to  an  ecclesiastic, 
who  by  means  of  them  puts  himself  in  the  way  of 
obtaining  the  crown  of  martyrdom  by  having  the 
Indians  tear  him  to  pieces. 

"  So  glorious  an  end  is  not  to  the  taste  of  all  pastors. 
Father  Estefano  had  always  taken  care  to  avoid  it. 
He  contented  himself  with  preaching  the  word  of 
God  to  his  parishioners,  without  going  to  destroy 
their  idols  ;  and  I  believe  I  should  have  done  very 
well  following  his  example,  instead  of  yielding  to  the 
temptation  which  one  day  assailed  me  of  deserving  a 
place  in  the  martyrology.  Having  learned  that  at 
the  loot  of  a  mountain  between  Mixco  and  Petapa, 
there  was  a  cavern  which  concealed  an  idol,  and  in 
v/hicb.  were  frequently  held  secret  meetings,  I  gave 
information   of  it   to   the   alcades,   bravely   offering 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  307 

myself  to  destroy  the  idol.  These  officers  praised 
my  zeal  and  courage,  and  furnished  me  with  an  escort 
of  twenty  well-armed  Spaniards,  at  the  head  of  whom 
I  marched  proudly  towards  the  cavern  in  the  middle 
of  the  night. 

"  We  found  it  lighted  up  with  a  prodigious  quantity 
of  wax  candles,  and  saw  about  five  hundred  Indians, 
men  and  women,  some  of  whom  were  offering  incense 
to  the  idol,  whilst  others  danced,  singing  praises  to  it. 
This  idol  was  nothing  more  than  a  large  painted 
dragon,  elevated  on  an  altar  of  stone.  Our  arrival 
disturbed  the  festival ;  and  the  appearance  of  my 
soldiers,  who  had  all  their  swords  in  their  hands, 
terrified  the  idolaters  so  much,  that,  far  from  putting 
themselves  in  a  posture  for  defending  their  divinity, 
they  thought  of  nothing  but  making  their  escape. 

"  I  ordered  that  they  should  not  be  opposed  in 
their  flight,  and  that  no  harm  should  be  done  them. 
I  gave  over  the  dragon  to  my  escort,  who  broke  it 
into  a  thousand  pieces.  After  this  I  returned  in 
triumph  to  Petapa,  looking  on  this  fine  exploit  as  a 
very  important  service  rendered  to  the  church." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

CONSEQUENCE  OF  THIS  GLORIOUS  EXPEDITION — OF  THE 
DANGER  IN  WHICH  FATHER  CYRIL  FOUND  HIMSELF, 
AND  OF  THE  PRUDENT  COURSE  HE  TOOK  TO  EXTRICA  TE 

HIMSELF  FROM  IT HE    RETIRES    TO  HIS  MONASTERY 

HE  RECEIVES  AN  ORDER  FROM   HIS   PROVINCIAL    TO 

GO  AND  PREACH  A  T  MEXICO. 

"So  vigorous  an  execution  made  a  great  noise  in  the 
country.  Those  of  the  Indians  who  were  really  con- 
verted did  not  disapprove  of  it ;  but  the  others,  b\'  far 
the  more  numerous,  viewing  it  as  a  sacrilege  which 


3o8  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

they  ought  not  to  leave  unpunished,  held  a  council 
together,  in  which  it  was  decreed  that  I  should,  one 
fine  night,  be  assassinated  in  my  house. 

"All  their  measures  were  taken  for  striking  this 
blow,  and  my  ruin  was  inevitable,  had  not  Heaven 
interposed.  But  the  objects  which  it  had  in  view  for 
me  engaged  its  bounty  not  to  abandon  me,  and  per- 
mitted that  on  the  day  before  that  appointed  for  the 
execution  of  the  project,  I  should  receive  an  anony- 
mous letter,  apprising  me  of  my  danger.  This  charit- 
able information  came  to  me  from  an  Indian  woman, 
to  whom  one  of  the  conspirators  had  revealed  the 
business,  and  who,  though  an  idolatress,  had  preferred 
the  life  of  an  honest  man  to  the  revenge  of  her  idol. 

"On  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  which  appeared  to 
me  deserving  of  attention,  I  made  up  my  bundle,  co'ni- 
posed  of  all  my  money  ;  and  without  saying  a  single 
word  to  my  servants  which  could  cause  them  to 
suspect  my  design,  I  mounted  my  mule,  and  took 
the  road  to  Guatimala,  without  choosing  to  be  accom- 
panied but  by  my  guardian  angel,  who,  if  he  saved 
me  from  the  danger  which  threatened  me,  did  not 
preserve  me  from  fear.  I  looked  a  thousand  times 
behind  me  to  see  if  any  were  following,  and  I  was 
finaHy  fortunate  enough  to  arrive  safe  and  sound  at 
our  monaster}'. 

"  I  related  to  our  prior  my  holy  prowess,  which  he 
praised  less  than  my  flight.  '  Father  Cyril,'  said  he, 
'to  console  you  for  having  lost  the  crown  of  martyr- 
dom which  the  Indians  designed  you,  I  have  an 
agreeable  piece  of  news  to  announce  to  you.  There 
is  wanting  in  Mexico  a  monk  of  our  order  who  has 
a  talent  for  preaching:  the  Jesuits  and  Cordeliere  at 
tiie  present  moment  take  the  lead  of  us  in  that  city. 
V\  c  have  need  of  some  powerful  person  to  maintain 


THE  BACHELOR  OP  SALAMANCA.  309 

the  balance,  and  we  have  cast  our  eyes  on  you.  Our 
provincial,  on  the  report  which  I  have  made  him  of 
the  applause  which  your  sermons  received  at  Guati- 
mala,  is  desirous  of  sending  you  to  Mexico.  I  was 
on  the  point  of  writing  to  }'ou  by  his  orders,  to  recal 
you  from  Petapa :  you  could  not  have  come  more 
critically  in  time.' 

"This  news  gave  me  so  much  the  more  pleasure, 
as  I  wished  to  see  Mexico;  and  Father  Cj'ril  found 
his  vanity  not  a  little  flattered  b\'  the  choice  which 
had  been  made  of  him,  to  go  and  dispute  the  honour 
of  the  pulpit  in  this  fine  city  against  such  formidable 
rivals.  I  therefore  prepared  myself  for  obeying  the 
orders  of  the  father  provincial,  who,  in  a  conversation 
we  had  together  before  my  departure,  particularly 
recommended  that  I  should  labour  to  sustain  by  my 
sermons  the  good  name  which  the  preachers  of  our 
order  have  ahva\'S  had  in  the  Indies.  His  reverence 
then  assured  me  that  my  toils  should  be,  one  day, 
well  recompensed  ;  and  joining  to  this  assurance  a 
letter  which  he  wrote  in  my  favour  to  the  father  prior 
of  our  convent  at  Mexico,  he  gave  me  his  benediction, 
with  which  I  took  the  road  to  this  great  town.  I  had 
for  my  guide  an  Indian  who  was  perfectly  acquainted 
with  the  road,  and  who  had  the  address  to  enable  me 
to  avoid  the  negroes,  who  inhabit  the  mountains  and 
murder  travellers.  Without  him  these  honest  folks 
would  perhaps  have  carried  off  my  tithes  and  Signior 
Don  Francisco  de  Castro's  gold  watch  :  at  the  same 
time  I  had  to  pay  him  ver}-  hand.somel)-  for  his  trouble. 

"  Having  arrived  at  Mexico,  I  went  to  wait  upon 
the  prior,  who  is  called  Father  Athanasio,  and  deli- 
vered him  m\-  provincial's  letter.  Before  he  unsealed 
it  he  very  respectfully  kissed  it.  He  read  it  to  himself 
wit'i    attention,  and  I  observed  that  while  reading  it 


3IO  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

he  appeared  surprised  and  satisfied.  '  Father  Cyril,' 
said  he,  after  liaving  finished  it,  '  even  tliough  this 
letter  were  not  from  our  reverend  father  provin- 
cial, it  contains  so  handsome  an  eulogium  on  your 
merit,  that  I  could  not  omit  receiving  you  as  a  man 
sent  by  Heaven  to  preserve  the  glory  of  our  oreier. 
We  cannot  sufficientl}''  rejoice  at  your  arrival:  for  in 
fact,'  pursued  he,  '  the  Jesuits  have  taken  the  wall  in 
Mexico:  that  is  certain.  But  I  trust  they  will  soon 
\'ield  it  to  us:  if  this  letter  may  be  beli-^ved,  you  are 
about  to  deprive  them  of  the  prize  of  preaching.' 

"  I  returned  to  this  compliment  a  reply  as  modest 
as  that  was  flattering;  and  after  a  rather  long  conver- 
sation, in  which  the  prior  evinced  a  very  great  impa- 
tience to  hear  me  preacli,  I  prepared  to  comply  with 
his  desires.  I  mounted  the  pulpit  after  a  week,  and 
from  my  very  first  sermon  made  a  noise  in  tlie  town. 
Wiiat  shall  I  say  to  you  .-*  This  noise  is  daily  augment- 
ing, in  spite  of  those  who  are  jealous  of  it,  and  I  have 
become  the  fashionable  preacher  of  the  day." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WHAT   DON    CHERUB  IN   AND    FATHER    CYRIL    DID   AFTER 
HAVING   MUTUALLY  RECOUNTED    THEIR  ADVENTURES 

DESCRIPTION    WHICH    THE    LATTER     GAVE    OP    HIS 

PRIOR DON    CHERUBIN    IS      RECEIVED     WITH     PLEA- 
SURE  WHAT    TOOK  PLACE    AT   THIS    VISIT. 

When  Father  Cyril  had  finished  his  relation,  I  ex- 
pressed the  joy  I  felt  at  finding  him,  after  so  long  an 
absence,  so  honoured  and  esteemed  in  tiie  capital  of 
Mexico.  I  congratulated  him  on  the  success  of  his 
sermons  without  telling  him  what  I  thought  of  them, 
or  rather  by  telling  him  what  I  did  not  think;  for  I 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  ^n 

praised  him  even  so  highly  as  to  call  him  Cicero's 
orator,  a  thing  for  which  some  reader  may  reproach 
me.  "  Signior  Bachelor,"  he  may  say,  "we  ought  to 
flatter  no  one,  and  particularly  our  friends."  Agreed  : 
but  I  reply  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  be  unseasonably 
sincere,  and  that  it  is  better  to  approve  of  the  praises 
which  one's  friend  receives,  than  to  tell  him  brutally 
that  he  does  not  deserve  them.  Besides,  Father  Cyril 
had  taken  his  mould,  and  my  candour  would  not  have 
been  less  useless  than  indiscreet  if  I  had  undertaken 
to  give  him  advice. 

When  I  had  complimented  him  on  his  reputation  of 
being  a  great  preacher,  I  asked  him  if  he  was  content 
with^his  prior's  behaviour  to  him.  "  Is  he  properly 
sensible,"  said  I,  "  of  his  happiness  in  having  you  ? 
How  does  he  act  towards  you  ? "— "  The  best  in  the 
world,"  replied  the  Biscayan.  "  I  have  every  reason 
to  praise  Father  Athanasio :  he  honours  me  with  his 
confidence;  he  consults  me,  and  causes  me  to  enter 
into  a  thousand  little  details  which  prove  he  has  a 
friendship  for  me.  Moreover,  he  never  invites  any 
party  in  which  I  am  not  included.  If  he  regale  secu- 
lars in  his  apartment,  he  sends  for  me  to  help  him  to 
do  the  honours  of  the  table  with  my  conversatioa, 
which,  without  vanity,  is  not  of  the  dullest.  If  we  go 
to  visit  the  nuns,  I  am  his  companion.  In  a  word,  I 
partake  of  all  his  pleasures." 

"As  far  as  I  see,"  replied  I,  "this  Father  Atha- 
nasio appears  a  virtuoso." — "  Without  doubt,"  replied 
Carambola.  "  To  give  you  a  portrait  of  him,  I  will 
first  tell  you  that  he  is  not  yet  two  and  forty  years 
of  age.  For  his  person,  he  is  one  of  those  portly 
friars  whom  one  cannot  see  passing  along  the  street 
without  admiring  their  good  mien.  ^  The  ladies  of 
Mexico  are  delighted  when  he  visits  them.     Besides 


312  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

that  he  has  a  most  amusing  wit,  lie  may  be  said  to 
be  one  who  sings  well,  and  is  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  music.  Moreover,  he  has  a  talent  for  poetry 
which  ought  not  to  pass  for  nothing.  I  must,"  con- 
tinued he,  "  make  his  reverence  known  to  you." — "You 
will  do  me  pleasure,"  said  I:  "such  a  monk  appears 
to  me  to  be  a  very  desirable  acquaintance." — "Very 
well,"  said  he,  "  I  will  do  it  for  you  immediately,"  At 
the  same  time  he  took  me  by  the  hand,  and  conducted 
me  to  the  apartment  of  Father  Athanasio.  While 
going  there,  I  said  to  myself:  "  Let  us  now  see  whether 
the  prior  of  the  Jacobins  of  Mexico  be  as  well  off 
for  furniture  as  the  guardian  of  the  Cordeliers  of 
Xalapa.  I  ought  not  to  doubt  it :  Saint  Dominic  is 
richer  than  Saint  Francis." 

In  effect.  Father  Athanasio  had  a  floor  of  eight  or 
nine  rooms,  all  ornamented  with  pictures  and  magni- 
ficently furnished.  The  most  beautiful  ornaments 
of  Mechoacan  feathers  shone  on  all  sides.  There 
were  seen  tables  covered  with  silk,  and  buffets  orna- 
mented with  vases  of  the  finest  porcelain  of  China 
or  Japan.  In  short,  my  eyes  were  dazzled  by  the 
beauty  of  all  that  struck  them,  and  which  would  have 
certainly  done  honour  to  the  palace  of  a  cardinal. 
We  found  the  prior  amusing  himself  with  singing 
and  touching  the  strings  of  a  lute.  "My  reverend 
father,"  said  my  conductor,  "your  reverence  will  allow 
me  to  introduce  to  you  one  of  my  best  friends,  Don 
Cherubin  de  la  Ronda,  the  illustrious  governor  of  the 
young  Count  de  Gelves,  son  of  the  Viceroy."  Father 
Athanasio,  on  my  friend  Carambola's  account,  showed 
me  all  imaginable  politeness.  He  even  regaled  me 
with  a  collation,  during  which  he  talked  of  nothing 
btit  music  and  concerts. 

This  friar  gave  me  by  these  means  to  understand 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  313 

which  was  his  accessible  side  ;  and  making  my  attack 
accordingly,  "Reverend  father,"  said  I,  "my  friend 
has  praised  y^ur  voice  to  me  in  such  terms  as  have 
inspired  me  with  a  violent  desire  to  hear  y  u  sing  :  I 
can  hardly  believe  that  he  has  n  t  overdone  his  praise." 
— "You  shall  judge  for  y^irself,"  replied  the  pri'-^r 
modestly.  "You  have  reas->n  to  mistrust  Father 
C\ril :  besides  that  he  has  a  great  friendship  for  me. 
he  is  not  very  sensible  to  harmony."  At  these  words 
he  rose  to  take  his  lute,  and  without  ceremony  began 
pla\-ing,  singing  at  the  same  time  a  song  of  which  he 
had  himself,  he  informed  us,  composed  the  air  and  the 
words.  In  this  song  a  lover  was  complaining  of  a 
cruel  mistress,  and  essaying  to  soften  her  b\'  touching 
expressions.  It  was  amusing  to  see  h  nv  the  friar 
entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  song,  and  vented  the 
most  tender  sounds,  rolling  his  eyes  at  the  same  time 
with  the  languor  of  a  lover,  making  a  most  singular 
contrast  with  his  religious  habiliments  and  emblems 
of  mortification. 

"Signior  Don  Cherubin,"  said  Father  Cyril,  when 
the  prior  had  done  singing,  "you  see  what  are  the 
innocent  recreations  of  his  reverence.  What  do  }'ou 
think  of  his  voice.'  Do  you  not  perceive  in  it  an 
infinite  softness,  and  would  it  not  be  a  murder  not  to 
exercise  it.?"  I  took  care  not  to  tell  him,  in  reply, 
that  the  \oice  of  priest  and  monk  ought  to  be  devoted 
to  the  praises  of  the  Almighty,  because  persons  wh-^ 
preach  to  others  are  not  fond  of  having  sermons 
addressed  to  themselves  ;  on  the  contrary,  I  approved 
very  h'ghly  of  the  prior's  amusements.  I  made  him 
repeat  his  song,  telling  him  that  I  was  charmed  w'th 
his  voice,  his  music,  and  his  poetr\-.  I  did  not,  how- 
ever, fail  to  impart  to  Father  Cyril,  in  pri\ate,  my 
opinion     n     his  subject.      He  to  k  the  part     f  his 


314  THE  BACHELOR. OF  SALAMANCA. 

prior,  and  to  make  the  apology  of  the  American 
monks  in  two  words,  said  :  "If  the  monks  of  this 
country  have  not  faces  which  speak  of  mortification, 
be  not  therefore  prejudiced  against  them :  they  are 
not  the  less  virtuous  because  they  have  not  an  air  of 
hypocrisy." 

After  spending  the  rest  of  the  day  with  these  two 
friars,  I  left  them  with  a  promise  of  returning  occa- 
sionally to  see  them,  and  begging  them  to  honour 
me  with  their  visits  when  their  affairs  should  call 
them  to  Mexico. 


CHAPTER  X. 

DON  CHE  RUBIN    GOES    TO    SEE     THE    PENITENTS    OF    THE 
DESERT,  AND  RECOGNISES  AMONG  THEM  DON  GABRIEL 

MONCHIQUE,  THE  SEDUCER  OF  DONNA  PAULA OF  THE 

CONVERSATION    WHICH    THESE    TWO   CAVALIERS   HAD 

TOGETHER,  AND  HOW  THEY  SEPARA  TED IMPRESSION 

MADE  ON  DON  CHERUBIN's  MIND  BY  THE  RECITAL  OF 
THE  MANNER  IN  WHICH  HIS  WIFE  HAD  BEEN  CARRIED 
OFF. 

One  evening,  being  in  a  company  where  the  con- 
versation turned  upon  the  beauty  of  the  environs  of 
Mexico,  it  was  stated,  and  every  one  agreed  in  the 
opinion,  that  the  most  agreeable  of  all  was  that  which 
is  called  the  Solitude  of  the  Desert.  As  I  had  never 
yet  been  there,  though  I  had  frequently  heard  the 
place  highly  praised,  I  resolved  to  go  thither  the 
following  day  along  with  Toston,  who  was  no  less 
curious  than  myself  to  see  this  spot.  We  accordingly 
repaired  to  it,  mounted  on  two  mules  from  the  stables 
of  the  Viceroy.  In  a  very  short  time  we  had  com- 
pleted the  three  leagues,  the  distance  between  the 
town  and  this  solitary  abode,  which  well  deserves  to 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  315 

be  described.  It  is  a  mountain  environed  with  rocks, 
and  on  which  there  is  a  convent  built  by  the  Bare- 
footed Carmelites,  to  retire  to  as  to  a  hermitage. 

There  are  at  the  base,  and  all  around  this  mountain, 
a  number  of  chapels,  all  of  which  have  gardens  filled 
with  flowers  and  fruits.  There  even  run  from  the 
rock  in  many  places,  fountains,  which,  together  with 
the  shade  of  palm-trees,  render  this  solitude  delightful. 
The  interior  of  each  of  these  chapels  is  ornamented 
with  paintings  in  fresco,  which  represent  the  different 
kinds  of  torments  suffered  by  martyrs;  and,  as  if  it 
were  not  enough  to  expose  to  the  view  of  the  world 
scourges,  hair  shirts,  and  other  instruments  of  mortifi- 
cation, to  intimate  the  life  of  penance  led  in  this- 
desert,  there  are  also  to  be  seen  in  each  of  the  chapels 
a  kind  of  hermits,  who  are  employed  in  lacerating 
their  skin  with  rods  of  iron  wire;  a  great  attraction 
to  the  people  of  Mexico,  who  are  as  fond  of  horrid 
spectacles  as  the  English  themselves. 

These  self-scourged  penitents  pass  for  saints.  I 
considered  them  with  admiration  :  and,  having  ob- 
served that  several  of  the  spectators  gave  them 
money  in  order  to  be  remembered  in  their  prayers,  I 
was  desirous  of  imitating  them,  and  with  this  inten- 
tion approached  a  chapel  to  present  a  pistole  to  the 
holy  personage  who  was  there  flagellating  himself 
with  great  severity  ;  but  imagine  what  was  my 
astonishment  at  recognising  in  this  miserable  hermit, 
all  disfigured  as  he  was,  Don  Gabriel  de  Monchique, 
the  seducer  of  Donna  Paula.  I  doubted  at  first  the 
evidence  of  my  eyes,  and  said  to  Toston :  "  Examine 
that  penitent  attentively  ;  do  you  not  recognise  in  him 
the  features  of  the  perfidious  Don  Gabriel  ?  Is  it  an 
illusion  ?"— "  No,  sir,"  replied  he,  "you  do  not  deceive 
yourself;  it  is  indeed  your  enemy.    I  cannot  mistake, 


31 6  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

though  he  is  so  covered  with  blood  as  to  make  the 
recognition  barely  possible." 

While  I  ran  m)'  e\'es  over  this  miserable  wretch, 
the  sight  of  whom,  while  it  awaked  my  vengeance, 
forbade  me  to  gratify  it,  he  placed  himself  by  m.y 
side.  As  soon  as  he  knew  me,  he  threw  to  the  ground 
the  scourge  with  which  his  cruel  hand  was  armed 
against  himself;  and  presenting  me  his  breast  all 
covered  with  blood  :  "  Don  Cherubin,"  said  he,  "  strike  ; 
revenge  the  outrage  which  I  have  committed  on  you  : 
far  from  wishing  to  screen  myself  from  your  blows,  I 
entreat  them  as  a  favour;  by  piercing  my  heart,  you 
will  deliver  me  from  the  remorse  with  which  I  am 
eternally  tortured,  or  rather  from  the  furies  which 
for  the  last  two  years  have  incessantly  pursued  me." 
— "  What  have  you  done  with  my  wife  ? "  cried  I, 
hastily  interrupting  him;  "what  has  become  of 
her  ?  Speak,  wretch,  inform  me  of  her  situation." — 
"Donna  Paula  is  no  more,"  replied  he;  "a  month 
after  our  flight  she  was  snatched  from  me  by  death. 
Scarcely  had  I  tasted  the  fruit  of  my  crime,  ere 
Heaven  punished  me  for  it.  If  you  would  know 
more,"  added  he,  "  enter  my  chapel,  and  I  will  inform 
you  of  all  you  can  desire  to  learn  :  it  is  also  due  to 
justice  that  I  should  vindicate  Donna  Paula,  who  was 
not  culpable."  Thus  addressing  us,  he  drew  Toston 
and  m)'self  into  the  chapel,  and  continued  in  the 
following  terms : 

"  Listen  to  me,  Don  Cherubin  ;  I  am  about  to 
make  you  a  faithful  recital  of  the  seduction  and  rape 
of  your  wife.  When  I  had  formed  the  design  of 
winning  her,  1  gained  over,  by  means  of  presents,  her 
old  attendant,  Antonia,  who  informed  me  that  Donna 
Paula  loved  you  too  sincerely  to  become  unfaithful 
to  )^ou.     On  this,  instead  of  renouncing  my  s  11\-  h)ve, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  317 

as  I  ought  to  have  done,  I  abandoned  mx'self  to  it  in 
such  a  degree  that  I  do  not  hesitate  to  avail  niyseh 
of  an  amorous  philter  which  was  made  known  to  me 
by  an  old  apothecary  of  Alcaraz,  and  which  was,  he 
informed  me,  composed  of  the  powder  of  a  certain 
bird  whose  species  exists  in  some  part  of  America. 
As  I  put  no  faitli  in  such  things,  which  I  treated  as 
mere  chimeras,  I  doubted  very  much  of  its  success; 
yet  no  sooner  had  Antonia  administered  some  of  this 
powder  to  her  mistress  in  a  cup  of  chocolate,  than 
the  charm  operated. 

"As  soon  as  I  was  apprised  of  this,  I  took  my  time 
and  arranged  my  measures  so  well,  that  at  the  be- 
ginning of  a  very  dark  night  I  left  Alcaraz  with 
Donna  Paula  and  her  servant,  unseen  by  any  person 
about  the  place.  We  arrived  before  day  at  the  village 
of  Villa  Verde,  distant  about  two  leagues,  where  we 
concealed  ourselves  in  the  castle  of  a  gentleman  v/ith 
whom  I  had  contracted  an  acquaintance,  who  was  a 
relation  of  Don  Ambrosio  de  Lorca,  and,  consequently, 
an  enemy  to  Don  Manoel  and  yourself  This  gentle- 
man pleased  himself  with  the  idea  of  lendirig  us  an 
as\lum,  and  of  favouring  an  action  which  would  dis- 
honour you  both.  We  remained  about  a  fortnight  in 
our  retreat,  without  entertaining  any  appreh'jn.snni 
from  your  perquisitions,  since  we  were  with  a  ca\-a!ier 
whose  domestics  were  all  discreet  and  faithful.  After 
this,  taking  the  road  to  the  coast  near  Carthagena  bv 
night,  we  arrived  at  a  small  port,  and  embarked  oa 
board  a  vessel  which  I  had  freighted  for  Genoa,  my 
own  country,  where  I  proposed  to  conceal  my  prey ; 
but  Heaven,  tired  with  the  profligacy  of  my  life, 
would  not  permit  the  accomplishment  of  my  de>ign  : 
Donna  Pauia  fell  ill  and  died  on  the  passage,  in  spite 
of  all  that  could  be  done  to  save  her. 


3i8'     THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

**  This  melancholy  event,"  continued  Monchique, 
"  induced  me  to  look  into  myself.  I  reproached 
nu'self  with  my  crime,  of  which  I  now  saw  all  the  enor^ 
mit}',  and  took  a  resolution  to  expiate  it,  if  possible, 
by  devoting  the  remainder  of  my  days  to  the  rudest 
penance.  Arrived  at  Genoa,  I  sold  with  this  design 
all  my  effects,  and  this  is  the  use  I  made  of  the 
money  I  by  that  means  obtained  :  I  gave  a  part  of  it 
to  old  Antonia,  to  enable  her  to  go  and  mourn  in  an 
establishment  of  female  penitents  the  part  she  had 
acted  in  the  seduction  of  her  mistress  ;  I  paid  and 
dismissed  my  servants,  and  after  having  distributed 
the  rest  of  my  property  to  the  poor,  I  set  out  from 
Genoa  in  the  habit  of  a  hermit,  determined  to  stop 
in  the  first  wood  or  place  which  might  appear  to  me 
adapted  for  the  residence  of  an  anchorite  ;  and  that 
I  speedily  found. 

"But,  Don  Cherubin,"  continued  he,  "  I  believe  it 
is  not  necessary  to  tell  you  more,  nor  to  relate  to  }-ou 
by  what  means  I  was  brought  from  Italy  to  Mexico  ; 
in  that  you  can  have  no  interest :  enough  that  I  have 
revealed  that  which  is  connected  with  your  own  affairs ; 
and  I  think  I  have  said  sufficient  to  excite  your 
vengeance.  Plunge,  then,"  added  he,  presenting  me 
his  breast,  "plunge  \'our  sword  into  the  heart  of  a 
miserable  wretch,  who  can  only  appear  a  very  monster 
in  your  eyes." — ^"  No,  no,"  replied  I,  "whatever  injury 
you  have  done  me,  I  cannot  resolve  to  revenge  myself 
b\'  assassination.  I  choose  rather  to  leave  you  in 
this  desert,  that  by  long  and  rigorous  penance  you 
may  obtain  the  mercy  of  Heaven." 

So  saying,  I  left  the  chapel  and  resumed  the  road 
to  Mexico,  my  mind  filled  with  the  most  serious 
reflections  upon  this  adventure.  They  were  of  a 
me'anc'  oly  kind  when  I  considered  that  Donna  Paula 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  319 

had  not  swerved  from  her  duty  but  through  the  means 
of  a  most  detestable  artifice,  and  was  therefore  excus- 
able in  what  had  happened.  Nevertheless,  there  arose 
in  my  mind  a  secret  joy  when  I  remembered  that  by 
her  death  I  was  placed  in  a  situation  to  aspire  to  the 
possession  of  Donna  Blanca.  As  for  Toston,  who 
found  in  this  adventure  nothing  but  what  was  cal- 
culated to  inspire  joy,  his  ideas  w  ere  all  of  a  pleasing 
kind.  When  he  saw  me  lamenting  over  the  fate  of 
Donna  Paula,  he  talked  to  me  of  Salzedo's  daughter: 
and,  all  things  considered  both  on  the  part  of  joy  and 
grief,  the  former  preponderated. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DOI/  CHERUBIN  STOPS  IN  A   VILLAGE  ON  HIS  RETURN  FROM 

THE   DESERT AN  UNEXPECTED    RENCOUNTER   WHICH 

TAKES  PLACE    THERE HISTORY  OF  A  PARISH  PRIEST 

AND  A  PILGRIM WHO  THIS  PILGRIM  WAS ASTONISH- 
ING EFFECT  OF  PERSONAL  RESEMBLANCE,  AND  EXTRA- 
ORDINARY GENEROSITY  OF  THE  PRIEST. 

I  WAS  returning  with  my  valet  from  the  desert,  and 
had  my  mind  still  full  of  what  I  had  been  told  by 
Don  Gabriel  de  Monchique,  when  I  had  a  rather 
singular  rencounter,  which  dissipated  for  a  time  the 
melancholy  in  which  I  was  plunged  anew,  on  reflecting 
on  the  tragical  end  of  my  unfortunate  wife,  whom  I 
pitied  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  Stopping  in  a 
village,  or  rather  in  a  small  town,  to  rest  the  horses, 
I  was  surprised  by  the  sight  of  a  great  number  of 
persons  assembled  round  the  door  of  the  parsonage, 
so  I  judged  the  house  to  be,  as  it  immediately  joined 
the  church.  I  desired  Toston  to  go  and  inquire  in*o 
the  cause  of  the  tumult.     He  accordingly  went,  and 


320  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

returned  in  a  moment  after,  cr\'ing  out  like  a  mad- 
man :  "Oh,  sir,  a  most  laughable  adventure  has  just 
taken  place:  the  curate  of  this  parish  has  recognised 
his  wife  in  the  habit  of  a  pilgrim  to  whom  he  was 
giving  alms,  and  these  people  are  waiting  to  see  her 
come  out." 

My  valet  again  burst  into  laughter  about  this  event, 
and  begged  me  to  stay  like  the  rest,  to  see  what 
would  be  the  result.  I,  however,  ordered  him  to  be 
silent,  not  choosing  that  he  should  make  a  fool  of 
himself  in  a  village  where  it  was  probable  I  might  be 
known.  I  fell  into  reflection  on  this  subject.  What 
a  difference,  thought  I,  is  there  between  this  man's 
fortune  and  my  own.  I  have  lost  a  wife,  without  the 
slightest  hope  of  ever  seeing  her  again,  while  the 
priest  has  met  with  his  at  a  moment  when  he  had  not 
the  slightest  expectation  of  it.  Curious  to  be  informed 
of  this  history  more  in  detail,  I  made  my  way  through 
the  crowd  and  desired  to  speak  with  the  curate.  They 
at  first  made  some  difficulty  about  admitting  me,  but 
my  dress  and  equipage  catching  the  attention  of  those 
who  came  to  open  the  door,  my  request  was  ultimately 
complied  with.  On  entering,  I  saw  in  a  rather  large- 
sized  saloon  all  the  principal  people  of  the  village 
assembled  round  a  venerable  pastor,  whom  they  were 
endeavouring  to  persuade  that  the  pilgrim  was  not  his 
wife  ;  and  that  she  even  did  not  know,  and  had  never 
seen  him. 

I  approached  the  pastor,  who  was  in  absolute 
despair  that  the  pilgrim  would  not  acknowledge  him. 
He  rose  as  I  advanced,  and,  finding  no  doubt  my 
countenance  prepossessing,  entreated  me  to  listen  to 
him  ;  and  this  I  readily  assented  to,  addressing  to 
him  at  the  same  time  some  few  words  of  consolation, 
calculated  to  inspire  him  with  hope.     He  received  my 


TUB  BACHELOR  OF  SALAUAXCA.  321 

compliments  with  his  e)'cs  full  of  tears,  and  replied  : 
"My  misforhnie,  sir,  is  this.  It  is  now  about  fifteen 
years  since,  travelling  with  my  wife,  whom  }-ou  see 
here  surrounded  b}'  m\'  friends,  and  who  now  disowns 
me,  we  encountered  a  dreadful  storm.  Our  vessel 
was  shattered  into  a  thousand  pieces,  and  I  should 
have  fallen  a  victim  to  the  fury  of  the  winds  and 
waves,  but  for  the  peculiar  interposition  of  Providence. 
After  having  been  long  tossed  about  the  surge,  which 
one  moment  gave  me  to  see  the  very  depths  of  the 
ocean,  and  at  another  raised  me  to  the  skies,  I  had 
the  good  fortune  to  discover  an  empty  boat,  which, 
like  myself,  was  driving  at  the  mercy  of  the  storm. 
I  got  into  it.  Although  aU  was  dark,  I  by  accident 
discovered  a  pair  of  oars,  which  I  immediately  seized, 
returning  thanks  to  Heaven  ;  and,  without  an  idea 
of  which  way  I  was  going,  continued  rowing  for  two 
or  three  hours,  until  I  at  last  perceived  that  the  sea 
had  grown  more  calm,  and  that  my  boat  was  aground. 
While  awaiting  the  day,  I  put  up  a  thousand  prayers 
to  Heaven  for  tlie  safety  of  my  wife  and  two  children 
who  had  embarked  with  me.  Scarcely  had  the 
morning  dawned,  ere  my  surprise  was  excited  at 
finding  myself  in  a  harbour  filled  with  numerous 
vessels.  Doubtless  Providence  had  conducted  my 
boat,  and  watched  over  my  days.  Some  sailors  who 
perceived  me  from  afar  came  to  my  assistance.  They 
were  much  astonished  at  seeing  me  escape  from  such 
a  furious  tempest.  They  pitisd  my  situation,  and 
lent  me  some  articles  of  dress,  for  which  I  gladly 
exchanged  the  wet  clothes  I  wore. 

"  Saved  from  this  frightful  peril,  I  entered  a  church, 
and  oft'ered  up  m)-  heart  to  God.  I  was  firmK-  re- 
solved never  more  to  embark  on  board  a  ship.  I 
deeply  regretted,  however,  the  loss  I  had  sustained 


322  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

of  a  wife  who  was  so  dear  to  me,  and  of  two  children 
whom  I  tenderly  loved.  After  inquiring  of  a  number 
of  travellers  whether  there  were  any  news  of  the 
vessel  called  the  Shepherd's  Star,  and  having  heard 
that  all  had  perished,  and  that  I  was  the  onl\'  person 
who  had  escaped  from  this  cruel  wreck,  I  travelled 
from  port  to  port,  with  money  which  I  made  of  some 
jewels  which  remained  in  my  possession,  and  two 
rings  which  I  had  upon  my  fingers.  Hearing  no  intel- 
ligence whatever  of  my  wife,  I  came  to  the  resolution 
of  devoting  ni}'  life  to  the  service  of  God,  since  I  could 
never  be  sufficiently  grateful  to  Him  for  the  mercy 
He  had  shown  me.  I  resumed  my  studies,  which  I 
had  not  yet  forgotten,  and  sometime  after  entered 
into  a  seminary.  In  about  four  years  I  entered  into 
holy  orders,  perfectly  to  my  satisfaction,  and  after 
having  some  time  served  this  parish,  was  appointed 
its  pastor.  I  have  now  been  here  six  years,  and  this 
morning,  while  giving  alms  to  this  pilgrim,  I  thought 
that  in  her  features  I  could  recollect  those  of  my  wife. 
The  surprise  I  felt  at  the  moment  caused  me  to  utter 
a  cry  which  brought  all  my  people  around  me.  The 
pilgrim,  terrified  at  this  accident,  not  knowing  to 
what  cause  to  attribute  it,  came  herself  to  my  assist- 
ance. Recovering  my  senses,  and  looking  more  closely 
at  this  woman,  I  caused  all  the  rest  to  retire,  and 
when  alone  with  her,  asked  if  she  were  not  the  daughter 
of  Don  Bardo  de  Mendoza.  She  admitted  that  she 
was,  and  inquired  in  her  turn  how  it  happened  that 
I  knew  anything  about  her.  I  embraced  her,  and 
told  her  that  in  me  she  beheld  her  unfortunate 
husband,  Don  Raxas,  escaped  by  the  mercy  of  God 
from  the  fur\'  of  the  waves.  But  judge  of  my 
astonishment,  when,   withdrawing   herself  from   my 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  323 

arms,  she  told  me  that  I  was  mad,  and  that  she  had 
never  been  married.  She  would  then  have  gone 
out,  bwt  I  stopped  her,  and  her  cries  have  been  the 
means  of  attracting  the  people  of  the  village  to  my 
door.  Am  I  not  most  unhappy,"  continued  the 
good  priest,  "  not  to  be  recognised  by  one  who  was 
dearer  to  me  than  the  world  }  Gentlemen,  I  appeal 
to  your  judgment." 

Curious  to  see  the  end  of  this  adventure,  I  told  the 
curate  that  prudence  should  forbid  him  to  divulge 
this  matter  out  of  respect  to  his  own  character,  and 
that  it  was  requisite  to  act  with  caution  under  such 
circumstances  ;  that,  if  he  would  permit  me,  I  would 
go  and  speak  to  this  pilgrim  in  private,  and  might  by 
that  means  discover  who  she  was  :  to  this  he  con- 
sented, and  desired  that  we  should  be  left  together. 
I  accordingly  approached  the  woman  :  but  what  was 
my  astonishment  at  recognising,  in  a  pilgrim's  dress, 
Nise,  m\'  earliest  love.  She  was  no  less  troubled  at 
the  sight  of  me,  and  inquiring  by  what  chance  I  came 
there,  I  told  her  what  had  been  said  about  her,  and 
that  curiosity  had  induced  me  to  enter  the  curate's 
house.  I  exhorted  her  to  tell  me  the  truth.  She 
replied  that  it  was  true  she  had  never  been  married, 
and  that  she  was  the  daughter  of  Don  Bardo  de  IMen- 
doza.  I  asked  what  was  her  Christian  name.  She 
told  me  it  was  Theresa  Nise,  and  that  finding  herself 
unable  to  continue  at  service  in  consequence  of  a 
malady  with  which  she  had  some  time  been  afflicted, 
she  had  taken  the  resolution  of  asking  charity  in  the 
habit  of  a  pilgrim;  that  she  had  made  up  her  mind 
to  that  course,  and  that  it  had  afforded  her  subsist- 
ence. "  But  had  }'ou  not  a  sister  .-'  "  asked  I.  "  Alas  ! 
yes,"  said  she  :  "  but  having  been  separated  from  her 


324  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

in  my  earliest  infancy,  at  which  time  she  was  married, 
I  am  ignorant  in  what  part  she  is,  or  whether  she  be 
still  alive."  I  asked  her  sister's  name.  "  Francisca," 
replied  she.  "  That  is  enough,"  said  I,  leaving  her. 
I  then  returned  to  the  curate,  who,  as  soon  as  he  saw 
me,  demanded  if  this  woman  were  really  his  wife  ? 
I  answered  that  I  did  not  believe  she  was,  and  that 
her  resemblance  to  his  wife  had  surprised  him,  and 
struck  upon  his  imagination.  "What,"  I  asked,  "was 
the  name  of  your  wife  ?  " — "  Donna  Francisca,"  replied 
he.  "Well  then,"  said  I,  taking  him  by  the  hand, 
"come  hither,  and  in  this  pilgrim  embrace  your 
sister-in-law,  Donna  Theresa  Nise." — "  My  sister-in- 
law  !  Is  it  possible,"  cried  the  priest,  rushing  towards 
her,  "that  you  should  be  Nise,  of  whom  my  wife  has 
so  frequently  spoken  ?"  The  pilgrim  assured  him  it 
was  so,  and  I  confirmed  her  stor\',  stating  that  I  had 
formerly  known  her.  To  this  effect  I  related  to  them 
where  I  had  seen  her,  sa}'ing  nothing,  however,  of  the 
share  which  she  had  had  in  m\'  affections.  But  what 
was  most  convincing  of  all,  was  that  our  pilgrim  drew 
forth  a  register  of  her  baptism  from  a  small  box 
which  she  had  by  her  side,  and  showed  it  to  the 
priest,  who  could  now  no  longer  entertain  the  slightest 
doubt  of  the  truth,  and  once  more  embraced  her  as 
his  sister-in-law.  After  being  apprised  of  her  circum- 
stances, he  told  her  that  they  should  in  future  live 
together,  and  be  only  separated  by  the  tomb.  The 
news  immediately  spread  in  the  village  that  the 
pilgrim  was  the  priest's  sister-in-law,  and  that  her 
great  resemblance  to  her  sister  had  been  the  cause 
of  the  mistake. 

This  adventure  appeared  to  me  too  singular  not 
to  afford  it  a  detail  among  my  memoirs,  and  I  think 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  325 

that  my  readers  will  not  be  displeased  with  me  for 
having  inserted  it,  I  took  my  leave  of  the  priest, 
who  wuuld  not  allow  me  to  set  out  before  I  had  par- 
taken of  a  frugal  collation  to  which  he  invited  me; 
by  which  means  I  had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing 
his  excessive  joy  at  seeing  a  sister  who  had  been 
hitherto  unknown  to  him.  His  eyes  were  full  of 
tears,  and  when  he  looked  at  Nise  he  could  not  help 
sighing  incessantly  at  the  recollection  of  his  wife.  I 
was  much  moved  with  this  spectacle,  and  if  I  were 
delighted  at  seeing  the  turn  which  the  affair  had 
taken,  I  was  still  more  so  at  the  generosity  of  the 
worth}-  pastor.  How  many  are  there  far  more  rich 
than  he  (his  revenue  amounting  to  less  than  two 
hundred  crowns  per  annum)  who  leave  their  relations 
in  the  extreme  of  indigence,  while  they  have  it  in 
their  power  to  relieve  them  by  taking  them  to  their 
ho.mes,  or  at  least  by  aiding  them  to  subsist. 

The  priest,  curious  to  learn  to  whom  he  had  been 
speaking,  asked  who  I  was.  I  did  not  conceal  my 
quality  from  him,  and  he  consequently  evinced  the 
greatest  respect  for  me.  He  begged  me  to  permit 
him  to  come  and  see  me,  to  which  I  readily  consented. 
His  conduct  in  taking  his  sister-in-law  into  his  house 
appeared  so  praiseworthy  in  my  eyes,  that  some  time 
after  I  procured  for  him,  through  the  medium  of  Don 
Juan  de  Salzedo,  a  rich  benefice  a  few  leagues  from 
Mexico,  in  the  direction  of  Petapa,  worth  two  thou- 
sand crowns  a  year. 

The  curate  never  ceased  to  thank  me,  and  manifest 
his  gratitude  for  the  favour.  I  have  mentioned  here 
the  end  of  this  story,  because  it  will  not  be  again 
adverted  to  in  the  course  of  these  memoirs.  When 
I  left  him  I  perceived  that  the  good  curate's  house- 


326  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

keeper  looked  with  an  evil  eye  upon  her  new  hostess : 
she  was  the  only  person  who  appeared  chagrined  at 
the  event.  I  returned  with  Toston  to  Mexico  ;  and 
had  my  brain  so  occupied  with  this  adventure,  that 
I  related  it  immediately  on  my  arrival  to  Don  Juan 
Salzedo,  and  totally  forgot  to  mention  that  in  which 
I  was  infinitely  more  interested,  and  which  I  after- 
wards resolved  not  to  omit  acquainting  him  with  the 
next  morning. 


END   OF   THE   FIFTH    PART. 


PART    THE    SIXTH. 


CHAPTER    I. 

DON    CHE  RUBIN,    ON  HIS   RETURN    TO   MEXICO,    GIVES  DON 

JUAN    SALZEDO    AN    ACCOUNT    OF    HIS   JOURNEY OF 

THE  JOY  WHICH  THE  SECRETARY  FELT  AT  FINPrVG 
HIM  IN  A  SITU  A  TION  TO  BECOME  HIS  SON-IN- 1  AW  — 
OF  THE  NEW  EMPLOYMENT  WHICH  HE  OBTAIN  hi.  PJ.i 
HIM,  AND   THE  GOOD  ADVICE  WHICH  HE  GAVE  HIM, 

I  WENT  in  haste  to  Salzedo,  to  inform  him  of  the 
unexpected  rencounter  which  I  had  had,  and  which  I 
had  forgotten  to  give  him  an  account  of  on  the  evening 
before.  I  accosted  him  with  an  agitation  which  gave 
him  to  see  beforehand  that  I  had  some  interesting 
news  to  announce  to  him.  "  What  is  the  matter,  Don 
Cherubin,"  said  he,  "that  you  are  so  agitated.?  Has 
anything  extraordinary  happened  to  you  .' " — "  Yes, 
Signior,"  replied  I,  "and  you  have  little  notion  of  the 
astonishing  reciti^l  I  am  about  to  make  you."  At  the 
same  time  I  gave  him  a  detail  of  what  had  passed  in 
the  desert  between  Monchique  and  myself. 

Don  Juan  heard  me  without  interruption ;  after 
which,  embracing  me  with  transport,  "  How  agree- 
able to  me  is  this  news!"  cried  he.  "The  obstacle 
which  opposed  the  repose  of  my  life  is  then  removed. 
Nothing  can  now  prevent  us  from  joining  the  ties  of 
blood  to  those  of  friendship.  I  am  at  the  height  of 
my  wishes.     In  talking  to  you  thus,  I  suppose  that 


328  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

for  my  daughter,  tuujn  semper  sauciat  pectus  amor: 
for  if,  since  }'0u  have  refrained  from  seeing  her,  \our 
heart  has  become  engaged  elsewhere,  it  would  be 
melancholy  for  her  to  have  a  husband  whose  affec- 
tions she  would  not  possess." 

I  protested  to  Salzedo  that  I  had  not  changed  my 
sentiments,  and  hereupon  he  again  promised  me  the 
hand  of  Donna  Blanca.  I  returned  him,  as  may  be 
supposed,  the  thanks  which  I  owed  to  a  man  who, 
while  he  had  in  his  power  to  marry  his  daughter  to 
some  lord  of  the  court,  or  to  some  contador  mayor, 
did  not  disdain  my  alliance,  or  rather  sought  it  with 
as  much  ardour  as  if  he  would  have  derived  consider- 
able advantage  from  it. 

I  expressed  x\\\  gratitude  to  him  in  terms  which 
gave  him  to  understand  that  I  was  still  more  touched 
by  the  affection  he  evinced  for  me  than  by  Blanca's 
dowry,  great  as  it  was.  "  I  am  persuaded,"  replied 
he,  "of  the  sincerity  of  your  sentiments;  and  if  I 
only  consulted  m\'  own  desires,  }ou  should  be  in  less 
than  a  week  the  husband  of  my  daughter  ;  but  a 
reason  which  I  will  state  to  you  obliges  me  to  defer 
this  marriage  for  some  months.  Don  Alexis  will 
soon  put  on  the  virile  robe,  I  mean  that  he  will  no 
longer  have  a  governor.  I  wait  for  that  time  in  order 
to  procure  \-ou  a  more  important  post  than  that  which 
you  now  hold,  and,  permit  me  to  say,  more  worthy  of 
a  cavalier  who  is  to  be  my  son-in-law, 

"In  the  meantime,"  added  he,  "I  permit  you  again 
to  see  my  daughter  as  before,  and  to  hold  with  her 
such  conversation  as  is  consistent  for  two  persons 
who  are  on  the  point  of  binding  themselves  together 
by  everlasting  bonds."  I  did  not  neglect  this  per- 
mission. I  revisited  Blanca,  who,  receiving  me  as  a 
lover  who   had   the  consent  of  her  father,  conceived 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA,  33; 

a  little  affection  for  me,  at  the  same  time  that  she 
inspired  me  with  a  great  deal  for  her. 

I  was  anxious  to  know  what  new  place  my  destined 
fath'jr-in-law  wished  I  sliould  possess,  in  order  to 
render  me  worthy  of  the  honour  he  was  desirous  of 
doing  me ;  when  he,  one  morning,  entered  my  room 
with  an  air  of  gaiety.  "My  son,"  said  he  (for  he  no 
longer  called  me  by  an\-  other  appellation),  "albo 
dies  notcnida  lapillo  !  You  are  no  longer  governor  of 
Don  Alexis.  This  young  lord  is  now  master  of  his 
actions,  and  you  are  my  colleague.  The  Viceroy,  to 
recompense  the  care  you  have  taken  of  his  son's 
education,  consents  that  you  should  take  a  part  in 
my  labours,  and  share  with  me  the  title  of  principal 
secretary  to  the  Viceroyalty.  It  is  a  favour  which  I 
have  asked  him,  and  have  just  obtained.  Do  not  tell 
me  that,  not  feeling  competent  to  acquit  yourself  well 
of  the  employment,  you  have  a  repugnance  to  accept- 
ing it.  Let  not  my  functions  frighten  you  :  there  is 
no  black  art  in  the  case.  To  fill  my  place,  regularity 
and  good  sense  alone  are  requisite.  Be  under  no 
uneasiness  on  that  subject  :  I  will  soon  qualify  you 
for  the  most  difficult  duties." 

Upon  this  assurance,  I  lost  all  at  once  the  aversion 
I  hitherto  entertained  for  offices,  and  told  Salzedo 
that  truly  my  incapacity  frightened  me,  but,  since  he 
was  not  alarmed,  I  would  do  what  he  desired,  assured 
that  he  would  assist  me  with  his  advice,  or,  to  speal; 
more  justly,  that  he  would  guide  me  by  leading 
strings.  As  soon  as  he  found  me  determined  on  doing 
as  he  desired,  he  conducted  me  to  the  Viceroy,  to 
whom  he  presented  me  as  his  colleague  and  son-in- 
law.  His  Excellency  approved  his  design  of  associat- 
ing me  in  the  ministry,  and  of  giving  me  his  daughter 
Blanca  ia  marriage, "  not  thinking,"  said  this  nobleman, 


330  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

in  a  ver}'  obliging  way,  "  that  he  could  find  any  person 
more  proper  than  myself  to  become  his  son-in-law  and 
his  substitute."  After  this  flattering  discourse,  the 
Count  told  me  that  he  exhorted  me  to  take  my  father- 
in-law  for  a  model ;  a  thing  which  he  might  very  well 
have  dispensed  with  recommending  to  me,  as  he  knew 
that  I  was  well  acquainted  with  Salzedo's  merits. 

"  My  lord  needed  not  to  have  persuaded  me  to 
walk  in  your  footsteps,"  said  I  to  the  Secretary,  when 
we  had  quitted  the  Viceroy.  "  Who  but  you  could  I 
have  proposed  to  imitate.-'  What  guide  could,  better 
than  j'ourself,  conduct  me  in  the  path  which  you  have 
opened  to  me,  and  on  which  I  do  not  enter  without 
trembling.?  Alas  !  I  fear  that  I  have  a  capacity  too 
narrow  to  admit  of  my  fulfilling  your  design." — "  I 
repeat  to  you  again,"  replied  Don  Juan,  "the  matter 
is  much  easier  than  you  imagine.  I  have  only  one 
advice  of  the  last  importance  to  give  you.  Be  acces- 
sible, obliging,  and  give  every  one  a  good  reception. 
An  air  of  gravity  does  indeed  become  a  person  at  the 
head  of  an  office,  but  there  should  be  in  it  nothing  of 
])ride.  '  Gravity  and  foolish  pride,'  says  a  Castilian 
author, '  are  two  sisters  who  very  much  resemble  each 
other,  and  who  may  notwithstanding  be  distinguished : 
the  one  repays  the  politeness  which  is  shown  her;  the 
other  is  rendered  by  it  only  the  more  insolent.' " 


CHAPTER  11. 

DON  CHERUBJN  DE  LA    RONDA  SHARES  THE  FUNCTIONS  OF 
SALZEDOy    AND  ACQUITS   HIMSELF  PERFECTLY    WELL 

HE  MARRIES   DONNA    BLANC  A — TRAGICAL    HISTORY 

OF    THREE    INDIAN   BROTHERS. 

As  soon  as  I  was  declared  colleague  of  Don  Juan  de 
Salzedo,  the  clerks  of  all  the  offices  of  the  Viceroyalty 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  331 

came  in  haste  to  pay  their  respects  to  their  superior ; 
and  I  received  abundance  of  visits,  the  greater  part  of 
the  gentlemen  and  principal  citizens  of  Mexico  having 
come  to  see  and  form  an  acquaintance  with  a  man 
whom  they  knew  to  be  the  most  particular  friend  of 
Salzedo,  and  designed  to  be  his  son-in-law. 

In  the  commencement  I  went  on  only  step  by  step, 
and  did  nothing  without  having  first  consulted  my 
oracle,  that  is  to  say  my  senior,  who  taking  a  pleasure 
in  instructing  me,  with  which  I  was  enchanted,  daily 
increased  my  taste  for  business.  I  applied  myself  to 
it  with  so  much  ardour,  that  I  had  soon  no  need  of  a 
guide.  After  three  months'  practice  it  would  have  been 
said  that  I  had  all  my  life  applied  to  nothing  else  but 
what  I  was  then  engaged  in.  It  is  true  that  I  devoted 
my  whole  attention  to  copying  my  model;  and  I  suc- 
ceeded so  well,  that  I  was  called  in  the  town,  by  way 
of  excellence,  Salzedo's  ape.  I  know  not  whether  I 
did  not  surpass  my  original  in  the  art  of  receiving 
with  politeness  those  persons  who  had  recourse  to  our 
ministry.  It  is  at  least  certain  that  Don  Juan  had 
nothing  to  reproach  me  with  on  this  score.  On  the 
contrary,  he  said  to  me  one  day,  having  seen  the 
politeness  which  I  used  to  a  simple  citizen  :  "  Ver\' 
well,  my  son  ;  very  well :  that  is  the  reception  to  be 
given  to  all  who  apply  to  us.  Whether  their  requests 
be  granted  or  refused,  we  ought  always  to  send  them 
away  satisfied  with  our  manners." 

I  was  then  without  the  fault  which  is  often  the  pro- 
perty of  principal  secretaries,  and  sometimes  even  of 
the  lowest  clerks  ;  I  did  not  act  the  petty  minister.  I 
will  say  more;  I  joined  to  my  mild  and  civil  demea- 
nour, an  obliging  heart.  I  did  all  the  services  I  could, 
and  principally  to  unfortunate  persons,  who  came  to 
implore  my  support.     By  this  I  acquired  the  reputa- 


332  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

tion  of  an  honest  man,  and  gained  the  esteem  and 
friendship  of  the  whole  town. 

My  colleague  applauded  himself  for  his  work.  He 
was  delighted  to  see  me  so  well  justify  his  choice; 
and  the  time  at  which  he  proposed  to  give  me  his 
daughter  having  arrived,  he  caused  me  solemn!}'  to 
espouse  her  in  the  cathedral  of  Mexico,  in  presence 
of  the  Count  and  Countess  de  Gelves,  and  all  the 
officers  of  the  Chancery.  The  principal  gentlemen 
of  the  town  were  also  present  at  this  ceremony,  and 
among  others,  my  friend  Don  Andre  Alvarade.  and 
Don  Josef  de  Sandoval,  both  of  them  descended  in  a 
direct  line  from  those  brave  captains  of  Cortez  who 
rendered  their  names  so  celebrated.  There  was  also 
Don  Ch'i^'oval,  the  grandson  of  the  famous  Garcias 
Holqum,  who  seized  the  canoe  and  persor.  of  King 
Cuahutimoc,  successor  of  Montezuma.  In  a  word, 
the  most  distinguished  cavaliers  were  at  our  nup- 
tials; forming  a  brilliant  assembly.  Blanca  and  I, 
after  having  received  the  nuptial  benediction  from  the 
hand  of  the  Archbishop,  returned  to  the  palace,  and 
our  wedding  was  celebrated  with  splendour  during 
three  days:  feasts,  balls,  concerts  and  plays,  every- 
thing was  resorted  to  to  render  it  magnificent. 

When  the  rejoicings  were  concluded,  I  applied  my- 
self to  business  still  more  closel}''  than  before,  and 
my  lord  soon  became  so  well  pleased  with  me,  that 
he  made  scarcely  any  difference  between  the  father 
and  the  son-in-law.  He  consulted  us  both  on  the 
important  orders  he  received  from  court,  and  some- 
times it  happened  that  my  opinion  prevailed  over 
that  (  f  D  )n  Juan,  who,  far  from  showing  himself 
jealous,  appeared  deh'ghted  at  it. 

The  Count  placed  great  reliance  in  our  advice,  but 
he  did  not  always  follow  it ;  and  when  he  had  t.iken 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  333 

a  thiiiy  into  his  head,  neither  one  nor  the  other  of  us 
could  turn  him  from  his  design.  T  must  relate  an 
instance  of  his  obstinacy,  from  which  may  be  seen 
what  kind  of  man  this  nobleman  was.  He  learned 
one  da\-  that  in  the  province  of  Mechoacan  there 
were  three  Indian  gentlemen,  brothers,  who  dwelt 
on  the  borders  of  a  river,  in  some  parts  of  which  gold 
was  found,  not  unknown  to  them,  since  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  they  had  trafficked  in  gold  dust  with  a 
merchant  of  Seville.  The  Count  de  Gelves,  prompt 
to  seize  the  opportunity  of  augmenting  his  riches, 
sent  some  Spanish  soldiers  into  the  country  of 
Mechoacan,  with  an  order  to  carry  off  the  three 
brothers,  and  bring  them  to  Mexico;  which  was 
executed  with  as  much  exactness  as  diligence.  The 
Indians  were  put  into  the  prison  of  the  palace.  The 
Viceroy  interrogated  them  himself.  They  denied  that 
they  had  any  knowledge  of  the  parts  of  the  river 
where  it  was  pretended  there  was  gold.  To  engage 
them  to  the  discovery,  they  at  first  used  mildness  and 
fine  promises,  afterwards  threats,  and  even  torments. 
All  was  useless ;  they  could  not  obtain  their  secret. 

If  his  Excellency  would  have  been  prevailed  on 
by  Salzedo  and  myself,  he  would  there  have  stopped. 
He  would  have  sent  these  unfortunate  men  back  to 
their  country,  and  contented  himself  with  having  used 
them  ill.  Such  was  our  advice,  which  notwithstanding, 
judicious  as  it  was,  was  not  followed.  The  Vicero\-, 
unable  to  fore;o  the  hope  of  obtaining  gold  from 
these  prisoners,  took  the  resolution  of  writing  to  the 
court  to  inform  the  prime  minister  of  what  had  passed, 
and  to  ask  him  what  should  be  done  with  the  three 
Indian  gentlemen.  The  Duke  de  Olivarez,  thinking 
he  bad  alread\'  twenty  tons  of  gold  dust,  returned  a 
speedy  answer  to  the  Count  de  Gelves,  and  ordered 


334  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

him  without  ceremony  to  have  the  tliree  brothers 
beheaded  if  they  persisted  in  keeping  silence. 

Although  this  order  appeared  cruel  to  the  Viceroy, 
he  did  not  fail  to  prepare  for  the  bloody  execution, 
notwithstanding  all  that  my  colleague  and  I  could 
say  to  him,  to  prevent  him  from  staining  himself  with 
the  blood  of  three  men  who  only  persisted  in  silence 
because,  perhaps,  they  had  nothing  to  reveal.  He 
opposed  us  by  two  arguments  to  which  we  were 
obliged  to  yield.  In  the  first  place,  he  knew  the 
character  of  the  Count  Duke,  a  proud  minister,  and 
one  who  wished  to  be  obeyed  without  remonstrance : 
then  he  was  working  upon  him,  to  continue  him  in 
his  post  some  years  beyond  the  term  of  his  commis- 
sion, which  was  near  expiring  ;  for  he  had  now  been 
four  years  governing  Mexico,  the  Viceroyalty  of 
v»hich  is  but  for  five  years,  but  is  sometimes  prolonged 
to  ten  by  means  of  presents  which  the  Viceroy  sends 
to  Spain,  both  to  the  prime  minister  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Indian  Council. 

When  I  saw  the  three  unfortunate  victims  of  the 
Count  Duke's  and  the  Viceroy's  avarice  menaced 
with  a  speedy  death,  I  had  compassion  on  them. 
"  My  lord,"  said  I  to  his  Excellency,  "  before  the 
blood  of  these  unfortunate  Indians  be  shed,  let  us 
put  address  in  practice,  since  the  torture  has  been 
unavailing.  I  know  a  Jacobin  who  is  very  eloquent, 
and  who  speaks  the  Indian  language  very  well ;  I 
think  if  he  were  to  see  the  prisoners  and  to  have  some 
interviews  with  them,  he  would  succeed  in  getting 
then  to  discover  what  they  now  conceal  with  so  much 
obstinacy." — "  I  approve  of  }'Our  idea,"  said  the  Count, 
"  and  nothing  ought  to  prevent  us  from  following  it. 
Go  instantly  in  search  of  this  monk,  and  bring  him 
to  me :  if  he  can  succeed  in  this  business,  he  has  only 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  335 

to  be  assured  that  I  will  get  him  a  bishopric."  I 
immediately  got  into  my  carriage  and  proceeded  to 
the  convent  of  the  Jacobins,  saying  to  myself  as  I  went 
along :  "  God  be  praised  !  if  my  friend  Carambola  could 
become  a  bishop,  it  would  be  laughable  enough." 

"  What  brings  you  here .'  "  said  Father  Cyril,  as 
soon  as  he  saw  me  appear.  "  Is  anything  here  for 
your  service?" — "The  business  is  rather  connected 
with  yours,"  replied  I,  ''since  it  concerns  a  mitre 
which  it  is  desired  should  be  placed  on  your  head." — 
"  I  hope  you  will  explain  yourself,''  said  he,  "for  I  do 
not  understand  )  ou.  I  do  not  think  myself  of  the 
wood  from  which  bishops  are  made,  although  persons 
of  our  order  are  every  day  raised  to  the  episcopal 
dignity."  I  made  known  to  the  monk  the  motive  of 
my  visit,  and  on  what  condition  it  was  promised  that 
he  should  become  a  prince  of  the  church.  "  Oh,  I 
have  not  got  the  mitre  yet,"  said  he,  shaking  his  head  : 
"  what  is  expected  from  me  is  not  easy  to  be  per- 
formed."— "You  deceive  yourself,  Siguier  Carneades," 
replied  I,  laughing:  "you  who  possess  the  happy 
talent  of  persuading,  you  who  speak  so  well  the 
Proconchi  language ;  you  fear  to  be  unable  to  induce 
these  prisoners  to  comply  with  the  intentions  of  the 
Court  to  save  their  lives  !"—•"  Yes,"  replied  Father 
Cyril,  "  I  fear  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  accomplish 
it :  you  do  not  know  the  Indians.  There  are  some 
of  them  so  firm  in  the  resolutions  they  have  taken, 
that  the  most  cruel  execution  cannot  frighten  them. 
If  these  have  agreed  among  themselves  to  die  rather 
than  discover  what  they  desire  to  conceal,  it  is  in  vain 
to  indulge  the  hope  of  forcing  them  to  it.  I  will, 
nevertheless,"  added  he,  "  niake  the  proof  to  content 
the  Viceroy  ;  but  I  much  dou^t  of  his  Excellency 
being  well  satisfied  with  the  event," 


336  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

I  conducted  the  Jacobin  to  the  palace,  and  pre- 
sented him  to  the  Viceroy,  who  said  to  him:  "  Father, 
you  understand  the  nature  of  the  business.  Don 
Cherubin  has,  ot  course,  fully  acquainted  you  with  it ; 
and  as  he  has  very  much  praised  your  eloquence  to 
mc,  I  have  every  reason  to  flatter  m}'self  that  you 
will  induce  these  three  Indians  to  break  the  silence 
which  they  are  so  obstinate  in  maintaining,  and  which 
wii]  prove  fatal  to  them  if  they  do  not  attend  to  your 
remonstrances.  See  them,  I  entreat  you  ;  converse 
with  them  in  their  own  language;  and  proceed,  if 
possible,  so  that  they  may  obey  the  orders  of  the 
king  in  pointing  out  the  parts  of  the  river  in  which 
there  is  gold.  Represent  to  them  that  without  this 
indication  their  ruin  is  certain;  instead  of  which,  if 
they  make  it  with  a  good  grace,  I  shall  be  grateful 
to  then\  for  it,  and  will  confer  on  them  great  favours. 
As  to  yourself",  Father,"  added  he,  "be  assured  that 
if  you  succeed,  the  Court  will  be  mindfal  of  your 
services." — "  My  lord,"  replied  Father  Cyril,  "I  am 
disposed  to  second  your  zeal  for  the  king's  service, 
an  1  I  will  spare  nothing  to  satisfy  your  Excellency; 
but  I  have  already  told  Don  Cherubin  I  know  not 
if  my  exhortations  will  have  the  effect  you  promi-e 
y  ;urself.'" 

At  the  same  time  our  Jacobin,  to  show  that  he 
desi'cd  nothing  more  than  to  contribute  to  the  acc^  - 
pHshment  of  the  Count's  desire,  or  rather  to  a 
bishop,  had  himself  conducted  to  the  prison  where  the 
three  Indians  were  shut  up,  and  remained  with  them 
four  hours.  His  lordship  and  myself  both  drew  a 
favourable  omen  frc^n  -o  long  a  visit,  and  we  could 
ot  imagine  that  oe  Indians  would  be  mad  enough 
to  prefer  death  '  life.  However,  we  deceived  our- 
,selves.    The  m  iuber  of  the  Petapa  Academy  returned 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  337 

to  us  with  a  mortified  air.  "  These  unhappy  men," 
said  he,  "  are  not  capable  of  hearing  reason,  in  the 
despair  which  possesses  them.  I  have  in  vain  ex- 
horted them  to  comply  with  the  will  of  the  Court; 
my  discourse  only  served  to  irritate  their  fury.  They 
persist  in  maintaining  that  they  are  ignorant  whether 
there  be  gold  in  this  river  in  which  it  is  pretended 
that  it  is  found,  and  they  add  that  if  they  did  know 
it,  they  would  not  acknowledge  it,  to  punish  the 
avidity  of  the  Court  and  the  Vicero}-." — "Very  well," 
said  his  Excellency,  irritated  at  the  firmness  of  the 
prisoners,  "  they  shall  perish,  since  they  desire  to 
appropriate  to  themselves  the  riches  which  belong  to 
the  king." 

These  words  of  the  Count's  were  followed  by  a 
sentence  of  death  which  he  pronounced  against  them, 
in  conformity  to  the  sanguinary  order  of  the  Court, 
and  that  without  opposition  from  the  judges  of  the 
Chancery,  though  these  officers  are  entitled  to  oppose 
the  unjust  designs  of  the  Viceroy;  a  circumstance 
which  is  doubtless  to  be  attributed  to  their  fear  of 
displeasing  the  minister,  with  whose  vindictive  spirit 
they  were  acquainted. 

A  scaffold  was  therefore  set  up  in  the  market- 
place, on  which  the  eldest  of  the  three  brothers  was 
first  made  to  mount.  They  were  accompanied  by 
Father  Cyril,  who  exhorted  them  in  Proconchi  to 
satisfy  the  Vicero}',  while  the  executioner  stood  by 
with  a  large  cutlass  in  his  hand,  of  which  he  studied 
to  make  the  steel  sparkle  in  the  eyes  of  the  unfortunate 
men  whom  he  menaced  :  but  the  Indian,  viewing  with 
an  eye  of  firmness  the  preparations  for  his  execution, 
and  more  fatigued  than  moved  by  the  exhortation  of 
the  monk,  hastened  to  offer  his  throat  to  tlie  execu- 
tioner, who  inflicted  on  him  the  mortal  blow. 

Y 


338  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  ' 

The  second  was  immediately  brought  forward,  whom 
the  monk  would  have  persuaded  that  he  ought  not  to 
follow  the  example  of  his  elder.  "  Useless  talk  ! "  said 
the  Indian,  who  spoke  a  little  Spanish.  "  My  friend/' 
pursued  he,  addressing  the  executioner,  "do  thy  duty 
quickly;  consummate  the  unjust  and  barbarous  work 
of  thy  superiors."  At  these  words  he  laid  his  head 
on  the  block,  and  the  executioner  severed  it  from  his 
body. 

There  remained  to  be  executed  only  the  youngest 
of  the  three  brothers.  He  had  no  sooner  appeared  on 
the  scaffold,  than  there  arose  a  murmur  among  those 
who  were  present,  who  were  very  numerous  ;  and  this 
murmur  was  the  effect  of  the  general  compassion 
which  the  sight  of  him  excited.  It  is  certain  that  it 
was  impossible  to  contemplate  him  without  pitying 
his  misfortune.  He  was  a  youth  of  about  twenty  at 
most,  well  made  and  of  good  mien.  The  ladies,  who 
are  naturally  compassionate,  pitied  his  youth,  and 
wished  that  he  might  not  imitate  his  brothers.  All 
the  spectators  put  up  prayers  for  him  to  Heaven. 
For  my  part,  I  expected,  and  my  lord  flattered  him- 
self with  the  hope,  that  this  young  Indian  would  lose 
his  firmness  on  seeing  the  steel  raised  over  his  head, 
and  the  bodies  of  his  brothers  extended  on  the  scaf- 
fold. Even  Father  Cyril,  in  spite  of  the  knowledge 
which  he  had  of  the  resolution  of  the  Indians,  did  not 
despair  of  snatching  this  one  from  his  fate ;  and  to 
this  end,  redoubling  his  efforts,  he  exhausted  the  most 
eloquent  discourses  with  which  his  book  of  academical 
collections  supplied  him:  but  he  was  not  more  fortu- 
nate in  this  enterprise  than  he  had  been  at  Guatimala 
in  the  affair  of  the  Abbess's  election ;  for  when  the 
young  Indian  saw  on  the  ground  the  heads  of  his 
two  brothers  separated  from  their  bodies,  he  gathered 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  339 

them  up*  in  a  transport  of  rage,  and  kissing  one  after 
the  other,  "Wait,"  cried  he,  in  his  own  language, 
"  wait,  my  dear  brothers ;  I  am  about  to  follow  )-ou. 
Death  has  nothing  but  charms  for  me,  since  it  is 
about  to  reunite  me  to  you."  The  Jacobin,  judging 
by  these  words  that  this  furious  man  was  determined 
to  perish,  ceased  to  exhort  him  to  live,  and  abandoned 
him  to  the  executioner,  who  struck  off  his  head. 

The  market-place  immediately  re-echoed  with  a 
cry  of  horror.  The  populace  burst  out  in  confused 
murmurs.  The\'  pity  these  three  Indians,  and  their 
judges  are  accused  of  injustice.  It  is  certain  that 
this  event  did  little  honour  to  the  Count  de  Gelves 
and  the  prime  minister;  but  I  believe  that  these  two 
noblemen  were  less  mortified  at  having  unjustly 
caused  the  death  of  three  gentlemen,  than  at  having 
committed  a  bad  action  to  no  puq^ose.  As  for  Don 
Juan  Salzedo  and  myself,  we  were  really  afflicted  at 
it,  as  was  also  little  Father  Cyril,  who  returned  to  his 
monastery  as  one  who  had  lost  a  bishopric. 


CHAPTER  III. 

BY  WHAT  ACCIDENT  TOSTON  ALL  AT  ONCE  MADE  HIS  FOR- 
TUNE, AND  OF  THE  LAUDABLE  RESOLUTION  WHICH 
HE  TOOK  SHORTLY  AFTER DON  ALEXIS  PARTS  WITH- 
OUT REGRET  FROM  HIS  CREOLE,    TOSTON's  WIFE. 

On  the  day  after  this  tragical  event,  one  of  a  more 
joyful  nature  happened  in  the  palace.  Blandina 
finding  that  Don  Alexis  had  abused  her  weakness 
for  him,  confided  in  Toston  the  secret  of  her  situa- 
tion, and  that  domestic  immediately  informed  the 
Vice-Queen. 

This  lady  appeared  as  much  astonished  as  if  she 


340  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  ■, 

ought  not  to  have  foreseen  the  accident.  "Ah,  my 
friend!"  cried  she,  "what  is  it  thou  tellest  me? 
This  news  pierces  my  heart.  I  should  never  have 
thought  Blandina  capable  of  forgetting  herself  so  far." 
— "  Madam,"  replied  Toston,  "you  know  that  a  tender 
engagement  goes  farther  than  is  calculated  on.  When 
the  mistress  is  softened  and  the  lover  very  warm,  reason 
and  virtue  easily  lose  their  influence  over  them." 

"Ah,  feeble  Blandina!"  resumed  the  Countess, 
"what  hast  thou  done?  Oughtest  thou  to  have 
allowed  my  son  liberties  which  are  only  permitted 
to  husbands  ?  But  why  reproach  thee  with  it  ?  It 
is  to  my  imprudence  alone  that  thy  misfortune  must 
be  attributed,  Alas!  it  is  I  wh©  have  ruinjd  thee 
in  exposing  thee  to  the  '.  eril  und^r  which  thou  hast 
fallen.  After  this  tirade  of  dolorous  exclamations,  I 
should  be  inconsolable,"  pursued  she,  "if  there  were 
no  remedy  for  this  evil.  Happily  there  is  one:  yes, 
doubtless,  it  is  a  certain  mode  of  saving  Blandina's 
honour.  We  have  but  to  marry  her  quickly  to  some 
honest  man,  to  thyself,  for  instance:  thou  appearest 
to  me  to  be  suitable  for  her." — "  Madam,"  replied 
Toston,  "  I  thank  you  for  the  preference." 

"Thou  hast  reason  to  thank  me,"  cried  the  Vice- 
Queen ;  "lear'n,  my  friend,  that  thou  wilt  be  doing 
no  bad  business  in  uniting  thyself  with  Blandina. 
In  the  first  place,  tliis  Creole  is  very  pretty,  and  I 
will  give  her  a  large  dowry ;  with  that  I  promise  thee 
a  considerable  employment,  and,  what  ought  not 
to  pass  for  nothing,  my  protection."  — "  Candidlx', 
madam,"  said  Toston  with  much  vivacity,  "you 
dazzle  me :  I  must  be  an  enemy  to  my  fortune  if  I 
were  to  refuse  a  similar  establishment.  The  business 
i."'  done ;  I  am  ready  to  preserve  the  honour  of 
Blandina  at  the  expense  of  my  own." 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  341 

The  Vice-Queen,  charmed  to  see  the  young  man 
in  these  sentiments,  made  haste  to  get  him  united  to 
the  Creole,  whose  honour,  in  consequence  of  this 
marriage,  received  no  taint,  for  no  one  was  astonished 
to  see  a  valet- de-chambre  to  Don  Alexis  marry  an 
attendant  of  the  Countess.  The  best  thing  for  the 
husband  in  this  precipitate  match  w7.s  Uiat  he  touched 
a  thousand  Spanish  pistoles,  which  che  Vice-Queen 
caused  to  be  told  out  to  him.  Aod  to  this  three 
thousand  crowns,  which  he  received  from  me  iax 
services  he  had  rendered  me. 

When  this  domestic  saw  himself  so  wfi;ll  supplied 
with  money,  he  took  an  inclination  to  return  to  his 
own  country,  and  carry  thither  his  wife,  of  whom  he 
had  long  been  enamoured,  and  more  beloved  by  her 
than  Don  Alexis;  so  that  he  might  flatter  himself, 
as  well  as  the  young  lord,  with  being  in  reality  the 
father  of  Blandina's  child.  He  communicated  his 
design  to  me.  "Sir,"  said  he,  "though  the  residence 
of  Mexico  is  perhaps  the  most  beautiful  on  the  habit- 
able globe,  I  have  resolved  to  leave  it,  to  go  and  see 
once  more  my  country  and  my  parents.  My  father 
who  as  you  know  was  a  schoolmaster  in  the  village 
of  Alcaraz,  is  still  alive,  as  well  as  my  mother;  if, 
at  least,  death  has  not  carried  thern  both  off  since 
our  separation.  They  are  not  rich,  and  you  will  of 
course  judge  that  the  return  of  a  generous  son  who 
has  made  his  fortune  will  be  very  agreeable  to  them. 

"  Besides  the  pleasure  which  I  propose  to  myself," 
continued  he,  "  in  rendering  their  circumstances  more 
easy,  I  feel  that  I  shall  not  have  less  in  carrying 
news  of  you  to  Siguier  Don  Manoel  de  Pedrilla,  you 
brother-in-law  and  friend,  who  m  1st  be  in  mortal  im- 
])atience  to  hear  something  o\  \-ou." — "  It  is  not  to 
be  doubted,"  replied  I ;  "  Don  Manoel  loves  :ne  too 


342  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

well  not  to  be  in  pain  about  me;  and,  on  my  side,  1 
should  be  unworthy  of  his  friendship  if  I  were  longer 
to  delay  informing  him  of  the  happ\'  situation  in  which. 
I  am.  It  is  accordingly  my  design  to  make  him 
acquainted  with  it  as  early  as  possible,  by  a  letter 
which  shall  contain  an  ample  detail," 

"  No,  no,  sir,"  interrupted  Toston  ;  "  that  is  a  charge 
which  I  take  upon  myself.  J  shall  better  inform  them 
by  word  of  mouth  than  you  can  by  a  letter,  of  all 
that  has  happened  to  you  since  your  departure  from 
Alcaraz.  Besides,  I  shall  be  able  to  reply  to  the 
questions  which  they  may  desire  to  ask,  and  you 
need  not  doubt  they  will  ask  me  an  infinite  number." 
- — "  It  is  certain,"  replied  I,  "  that  a  report  from  }ou 
will  be  preferable  to  the  longest  despatch  ;  but  I  fear 
one  thing  :  Don  Alexis  will  not  consent  to  the  depar- 
ture of  Blandina." — "  Oh  yes/'  returned  Toston,  "  this 
nobleman's  love  has  considerably  relaxed  ;  he  begins 
to  detach  himself  from  the  Creole;  and,  walking  in 
his  father's  steps,  in  spite  of  all  we  have  been  able  to 
do,  he  is  taken  with  the  sight  of  an  Indian  coquette, 
whose  acquaintance  one  of  his  pages  has  procured 
him.  I  am  delighted  that  he  is  grown  inconstant, 
for,  without  vanity,  Blandina  has  a  greater  liking  for 
me  than  for  him.  She  will  readily  abandon  Mexico 
to  follow  me  to  my  own  country,  where  we  shall  live 
at  our  ease,  bringing  up  the  little  family  which  her 
fecundity  promises." 

In  reality,  Don  Alexis,  very  far  from  wishing  to 
retain  his  Creole,  received  her  adieux  with  an  un- 
moistened  eye;  but  in  default  of  the  grief  which  the 
young  ingrate  ought  to  hav^e  had  at  losing  a  person 
who  had  had  so  much  kindness  for  him,  he  made  her 
a  present  of  some  jewellery.  After  this  Toston  having 
taken  charge  of  the  despatches  which  I  gave  him  for 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  343 

Don  ]\Ianoel  and  my  sister,  set  out  with  Blandina  for 
Vera  Cruz  by  the  muleteer's  road. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OF  THE  CONFIDENCE  WHICH  DON  JUAN  SALZEDO  REPOSED 
IN  HIS  SON-IN-LAW,  OF  A  PROJECT  FORMED  BY  THE 
VICEROY — WHAT  THIS  PROJECT  WAS,  AND  HOW  IT 
WAS  EXECUTED — THE  ARCHBISHOP  OF  MEXICO  TAKES 
THE    PART  OF    THE    PEOPLE,    AND   EXCOMMUNICATES 

DON    PEDRO     AND     THE     VICEROY VIOLENCE     WHICH 

THIS  LAST  RESORTED  TO,  IN  HAVING  HIM  CONDUCTED 
TO  VERA  CRUZ. 

Had  my  father-in-law  been  ever  so  little  inclined  to 
jealousy,  he  could  not  without  pain  have  seen  the 
gentlemen  press  as  they  did  for  my  friendship  in 
preference  to  his  own  ;  but  he  was  a  man  who  took 
pleasure  in  seeing  me  esteemed  and  honoured  by 
every  one.  Perhaps,  also,  in  attributing  to  the  con- 
sideration they  had  for  him  that  which  they  mani- 
fested to  me,  his  vanity  might  find  its  account. 
However  this  be,  he  loved  me  as  if  I  had  been  his 
own  son.  He  had  no  secrets  with  me,  and  sometimes 
he  confided  to  me  matters  of  great  importance.  This 
is  one  of  which  he  one  day  informed  me. 

"  The  Count  de  Gelves,"  said  he,  "  begins  to  lose 
the  hope  of  getting  his  government  prolonged.  One 
of  his  friends,  a  courtier,  well  informed  of  the  measures 
which  several  noblemen  are  taking  at  Court  to  obtain 
the  Viceroyalty  of  Mexico,  informs  him  that  the 
Count  Duke  de  Olivarez  has  directed  the  king's 
choice  to  the  Marquis  de  Serralvo.  Another,  less 
avaricious  than  the  Count  de  Gelves,"  continued  he, 
"  would  console  himself,  and  return  satisfied  to  Madrid 


344  T^HE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

with  the  fish  he  has  caught :  but  he  cannot  moderate 
his  views;  he  is  desirous  of  making  one  good  cast  of 
his  net.  He  expects  by  raising  the  price  of  salt  that 
he  shall  gain  immense  sums;  and,  in  order  to  throw 
on  another  the  public  odium  which  this  monopoly 
must  excite,  he  has  in  hand  a  man  born  for  executing 
such  enterprises:  this  is  Don  Pedro  Mexio,  one  of 
the  richest  gentlemen  in  Mexico,  and  perhaps  the 
most  audacious  of  mortals. 

"I  esteem  his  lordship,"  pursued  Don  Juan,  "  and 
cherish  his  glory  and  honour  too  much  to  applaud 
his  design  when  he  communicated  it  to  me.  I  com- 
bated it,  like  a  sincere  friend  and  zealous  servitor; 
but  although  the  Count  commonly  listens  to  me  and 
follows  my  advice,  I  can  tell  you  there  are  occasions 
like  this  on  which  he  will  not  be  contradicted  ,  he  is 
determined  on  executing  his  project,  whatever  may 
be  the  consequence  of  it."  Thus  spoke  my  father- 
in-law,  and  then  asked  what  I  said  to  this  project. 
"I  say,"  replied  I,  "that  it  makes  me  tremble,  and 
that  it  may  have  consequences  very  disagreeable  for 
his  Excellency  and  for  us." — "That  is  what  I  feared," 
replied  he,  "and  I  am  much  mortified  that  I  cannot 
prevent  them."  Salzedo  and  I,  then,  disapproved  of 
this  enterprise,  and  we  were  in  despair  when  we  beheld 
preparations  making  for  executing  it.  I  will  detail 
in  what  manner  the  undertakers  of  it  commenced  this 
work  of  iniquity.  The  reader  will  see  by  the  event 
the  truth  of  the  proverb,  la  codicia  qiiebra  el  saco* 

Don  Pedro  Mexio,  according  to  the  agreement 
made  between  the  Count  and  him,  bought  up  all  the 
salt  he  could  find  for  sale  in  the  country,  and  filled 
the  stores  which  he  had  hired  with  that  intention. 
By  this   means  salt  grew  scarce,  and  became  every 

*  Covetousness  bursts  the  bag. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  345 

day  dearer.  Don  Pedro  then  beginning  to  sell  his 
own,  daily  augmented  the  price,  so  that  the  poor 
began  to  complain  and  the  rich  to  murmur;  and  so 
much  the  more,  as  both  classes  knew  what  to  think 
of  this  dearness.  Tiiey  did  not  confine  themselves 
to  plaints  and  murmurs.  A  petition  was  presented, 
in  the  name  of  the  people  in  general,  to  the  judges 
of  the  Chancery,  demanding  that  salt  should  be 
reduced  to  its  former  price  :  but  the  Viceroy,  who 
was  at  the  head  of  these  judges,  of  whom  the  greater 
part  dared  not  be  of  an  opinion  different  from  his,  gave 
them  to  understand  that  this  dearness  would  not  last 
long,  and  that  they  must  have  patience.  Thus,  no 
one  having  the  boldness  to  oppose  his  avarice,  Mexio 
was  suffered  to  continue  his  plunder  at  his  ease. 

At  last  the  people,  tired  at  seeing  no  end  to  the 
monopoly,  implored  the  assistance  of  the  Archbishop, 
setting  forth  in  a  memorial  to  his  lordship,  that  he 
ought  to  interpose  his  pastoral  authority  to  preserve 
his  flock  from  the  tyranny  of  Don  Pedro.  The  pastor, 
touched  with  their  distress,  or  to  speak  more  justl\-, 
urged  b\'  a  secret  hatred  to  the  Viceroy,  seized  this 
opportunity  for  mortifying  him,  under  the  specious 
pretext  of  solacing  the  people.  He  resolved  to  employ 
the  censures  of  the  Church  against  Mexio,  knowing 
that  this  would  be  indirectly  attacking  the  Count. 
This  violent  prelate  was  named  Don  Alonzo  de 
Zcrna.  He  was  the  son  of  a  hidalgo  of  New  Castile. 
He  had  obtained,  I  know  not  how,  the  archbishopric 
of  Mexico,  wiiich  is  wortii  sixty  thousand  crowns  of 
rent ;  and,  proud  of  the  possession  of  so  rich  a  benefice, 
he  thought  himself  at  least  equal  to  the  Viceroy. 

Don  Alonzo,  to  vex  his  enemy,  excommunicated 
Don  Pedro,  and  fixed  his  excommunication  on  the 
doors  of  all  the  churches,  that    no   one    might   be 


346  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

itinerant  of  it.  Mexio  only  laughed  when  he  was 
informed  of  it.  He  derided  the  Archbishop,  and  to 
let  him  see  how  little  value  he  set  upon  his  excom- 
munication, he  continued  to  sell  his  salt,  and  even 
raised  the  price.  This  boldness  did  not  fail  to  irritate 
the  impetuous  prelate,  who,  on  his  side,  listening  to  and 
following  nothing  but  his  own  boiling  humour,  pushed 
his  resentment  so  far  as  to  interdict  divine  service. 

Nothing  is  more  considerable  in  New  Spain  than 
this  interdiction.  It  is,  as  one  may  say,  to  sound 
the  tocsin  to  apprise  the  people  that  the  house  of 
the  Lord  is  on  fire:  for,  from  the  moment  it  is  pu'i- 
lished,  the  doois  of  the  churches  are  closed  ;  no  more 
masses,  no  more  prayers  are  said  in  them  ;  it  is  a 
general  suspension  of  all  the  ecclesiastical  functions. 
Rightly  to  conceive  the  importance  of  this  formidable 
censure,  it  r»:iust  be  known  that  there  are  more  than  a 
thousand  priests  in  Mexico,  both  regular  and  secular, 
who  subsist  only  on  masses,  which  they  say  at  a  dollar 
apiece,  which  daily  amounts  to  more  than  a  thousand 
crowns  ;  and  this  the  excommunicated  person  has 
to  pay. 

Don  Pedro,  rightly  judging  that  the  Archbishop 
wished  to  ruin  him,  by  rendering  him  odious  to  the 
people,  and  perceiving  besides  that  they  began  to 
insult  him  in  the  streets,  lost  part  of  his  firmness, 
and  retired  to  the  palace  to  entreat  the  Viceroy  to 
protect  him,  since  after  all  he  had  only  complied 
with  his  orders.  On  this  the  Count  de  Gelves  sent 
the  greater  part  of  his  servants  to  tear  down  from 
the  doors  of  the  churches  the  excommunication  and 
interdiction  papers,  which  w^ere  there  put  up.  He 
then  caused  the  superiors  of  convents  to  be  told  that 
he  orvicred  them  to  open  their  churches  and  perform 
masses,    under    penalty   for    disobedience.      But   the 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  347 

monks  replied,  that  on  this  occasion  it  appeared  to 
them  they  ought  rather  to  obey  their  pastor  than 
the  Viceroy.  On  their  refusal,  his  Excellency  called 
me  and  said:  "Don  Cherubin,  go  immediately  to  the 
Archbishop,  and  tell  him  from  me  that  I  order  him 
to  revoke  his  censures." 

I  repaired  in  haste  to  the  archiepiscopal  palace, 
and  made  known  my  commission  to  the  prelate, 
who  tod  me  bluntly,  that  he  could  not  do  what  the 
Count  commanded  until  Mexio,  the  disturber  of  the 
public  peace,  should  have  previously  submitted  to  the 
Church,  and  reimbursed  the  priests  in  the  sums  whicii 
he  had  been  the  cause  of  their  losing.  I  wished  to 
represent  to  his  irritated  lordship  that  he  did  not 
reflect  it  was  disoLieynig  the  king  to  refuse  sub- 
mission to  the  orders  ot  his  minister;  but  the  furious 
Don  Alonzo  haughtily  interrupted  me.  "  Hold  \'our 
tongue,  my  friend,''  said  he;  "I  have  no  need  of  your 
remonstrances.  I  know  what  I  owe  to  a  Viceroy 
who  makes  so  bad  a  use  of  his  power,  and  who 
would  deserve  to  be  treated  like  Don  Pedro."  I  did 
not  deem  it  seasonable  to  reply,  whatever  mind  I 
had  to  do  so,  and  retired  for  fear  of  being  m\'self 
excommunicated. 

The  Viceroy,  who  was  scarcely  less  violent  than 
the  Archbishop,  was  transported  with  rage  when  I 
informed  him  what  the  prelate  had  said  to  me ;  and, 
giving  way  to  his  first  impulse,  cal.ed  the  captain  of 
his  guards.  "Tirol,"  said  he,  "  I  order  you  to  go  and 
seize  the  person  of  the  Archbishop,  in  whatever  place 
he  may  be,  the  immunity  of  the  Church  itself  not 
being  worthy  of  respect  on  this  occasion.  Conduct 
this  priest  to  Vera  Cruz,  and  place  him  under  the 
castle  guard,  until  he  can  be  embarked  for  Spain." 

Whilst  Tirol  was  assembling  his  people  to  execute 


348  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

the  order  of  his  Excellency,  the  Archbishop  was 
apprised  of  it.  He  immediately  left  the  town,  avid 
took  refuge  in  the  suburb  of  Guadaloupe,  accompanied 
by  several  ecclesiastics.  He  there  made  out  himself  an 
excommunication,  which  he  charged  one  of  his  priests 
to  have  stuck  up  on  the  door  of  the  cathedral.  Then, 
having  learned  that  he  u^as  pursued,  he  rook  refuse 
in  a  church,  where  he  had  the  candles  lighted  on  the 
altar,  and  dressed  himself  in  his  pontifical  robes,  too 
fully  persuaded  that  in  this  state  no  man  would  dare 
to  hi}^  his  hand  on  him.  But  he  was  soon  undeceived. 
Tirol,  at  the  head  of  his  people,  entered  the  church  ; 
and  having  respectfully  approached  the  prelate, 
begged  him  to  hear  read  the  king's  order,  of  which 
he  was  the  bearer,  and  to  submit  to  it  quietl}%  to 
avoid  scandal.  Upon  this  our  Archbishop  began 
cr\  ing  out  that  the  privilege  of  the  church  was  vio- 
lated, and  took  all  his  priests  to  witness  the  outrage 
that  was  done  him.  Nevertheless,  after  having 
stoutly  declainied  against  the  Viceroy,  he  took  off 
his  habiliments,  and  gave  himself  up  to  Tirol,  who 
immediately  conducted  him  to  Vera  Cruz. 


CHAPTER  V. 

OP  THR  MELANCHOLY  CONSEQUENCES  WHICH  AROSE   FROM 

CARRYING     OFF     THE    ARCHBISHOP     OF     MEXICO THE 

VICEROY  IS    OBLIGED    TO  RETIRE  TO   THE  MONASTERY 

OF  THE  CORDELIERS DON  CHERUBIN,  HIS  WIFE,  AND 

HIS    FATHER-IN-LAW    RETIRE     THERE      ALSO, DON 

CHERUBIN  SETS  OUT  FROM  MEXICO. 

Don  Juan  and  I  were  afflicted  at  this  seizure  of  the 

Archbishop,  foreseeing  that  it  would  have  disastrous 
consequences.     We  hatl  sp'es  about,  who  rendered  us 


THE  BACHELOR  OE  SALAMANCA.  349 

an  exact  account  of  all  that  was  said  in  the  town,  and 
we  had  reason  to  judge  by  their  reports  that  the 
inhabitants  did  not  ai)prove  of  the  catidjjct  which  tlie 
Count  had  pursued,  and  even  that  they  pronounced 
him  in  the  wrong. 

We  soon  learned  that  the  ecclesiastics,  above  all, 
were  animated  against  his  ExceUenc}' ;  that  the\' 
diffused  among  the  people  a  spirit  of  revolt,  and 
excited  the  Creoles,  the  Indians,  and  the  Mulattoes, 
the  secret  enemies  of  the  government,  to  begin  the 
sedition.  Insensibly  the  number  of  the  malcontents 
increased  to  such  a  pitch,  that  it  seemed  the  whole 
town  had  taken  part  against  the  Viceroy.  His 
servants  could  not  appear  without  exposing  them- 
selves to  insult.  Even  Salzedo  and  myself  had  our 
share  in  the  hatred  of  the  people,  who  imagined, 
doubtless,  that  we  had  a  part  in  the  monopoly  of  salt. 
In  short,  ever\-thing  announced  approaching  sedition, 
which  the  return  of  Tirol  to  Mexico  caused  to  bun>t 
forth.  The  first  who  raised  the  buckler  was  a  priest, 
w  ho,  seeing  this  captain  passing  on  horseback  through 
the  market-place,  took  it  into  his  head  to  cry  out, 
"  Tiiere  goes  the  man  who  dared  to  la\'  his  impious 
hand  on  the  minister  c/f  the  Lord." 

At  the  voice  of  this  priest,  the  populace  were 
roused.  They  assembled  and  pursued  Tirol  witii 
stones  as  far  as  the  palace,  where  he,  fearing  a  general 
insurrection,  ordered  the  gates  to  be  closed.  The 
precaution  was  not  unnecessary,  for  the  affair  became 
serious.  In  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  there  were 
in  the  square  more  than  six  thousand  persons  of  all 
conditions,  who,  loading  Tirol  with  abuse,  began 
crying,  as  in  emulation  of  each  other,  that  he  ought 
to  be  exterminated. 

Hitherto  the  seditious  had  only  made  a  noise;  and 


350  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

the  Viceroy  believing  that  to  appease  them  he  had 
only  to  send  and  request  them  to  retire  to  their 
houses,  assuring  them  that  Tirol  had  escaped  from 
the  palace  by  a  back  gate,  charged  me  with  this 
commission,  the  honour  of  which  I  would  willingly 
ha\'e  \-ielded  to  another,  and  of  which  I,  notwith- 
standing, acquitted  myself  boldly  enough  for  a  man 
who  exposes  himself  to  be  stoned,  which  I  expected 
to  happen  to  me ;  for,  having  shown  m\-self  at  a 
balcoiu',  for  the  purpose  of  addressing  the  mutineers, 
I  saw  a  shower  of  missiles  fall  around  me,  of  which 
happily  none  took  effect.  As  nothing  but  blows  were 
to  be  gained  by  preaching  reason  to  these  madmen, 
I  wisely  retired,  and,  by  my  abrupt  retreat,  avoided 
the  fate  of  the  Emperor  Montezuma.* 

Things  did  not  rest  here.  Some  priests  having 
joined  the  party,  irritated  the  fury  of  the  malcontents, 
some  of  whom  being  armed  with  fusees,  began  firing 
at  the  windows,  and  made  the  balls  whistle  about  the 
palace,  whilst  others  with  levers  began  battering  down 
the  wall  to  gain  admittance.  Du-rino-  five  or  six  hours 
which  this  tumult  lasted,  a  page  and  two  of  the 
Count's  guards  who  appeared  at  the  balconies  with 
their  carbines  to  return  the  fire  of  those  without,  had 
the  misfortune  to  perish,  after  having  themselves 
brought  down  some  of  the  seditious.  We  should  have 
made  a  great  carnage  among  them  if  we  had  had 
some  pieces  of  cannon  ;  but  there  were  none,  either  in 
the  palace  or  the  town,  the  Spaniards  having  no 
apprehension  of  being  attacked  by  foreign  nations. 

In  default  of  cannon,  the  Count  de  Gelves  ordered 
the  ro}-al  standard  to  be  displayed  on  the  balconies, 
and  the  trumpet  sounded  to  call  the  inhabitants  to 

*  This  prince  was  killed  by  the  blow  of  a  stone,  as  he  was  addressing 
his  subjects  from  a  balcony  to  induce  lliem  to  lay  down  their  arms. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  351 

the  succour  of  the  king,  of  whom  he  was  the  repre- 
sentative. This  was  unavaiHng,  since  no  one  of  his 
friends  or  of  the  officers  of  the  Chancery  came  to  his 
assistance.  However,  the  night  approached,  and  the 
malcontents  awaited  it  with  impatience  to  increase 
the  disorder.  As  they  had  observed  that  the  gate  of 
the  prison  could  easily  be  forced,  they  burst  it  open, 
or  rather  the  gaoler  opened  it  to  them.  They  set  the 
prisoners  at  liberty,  who,  joining  them,  assisted  them 
to  set  fire  to  the  prison,  and  burn  a  part  of  the  palace. 
Then  the  principal  inhabitants,  fearing  that  the  town 
would  be  reduced  to  ashes,  came  out  of  their  houses, 
and,  for  their  own  interest,  appeased  the  populace. 
They  got  them  to  extinguish  the  fire ;  and  but  for 
that,  Mexico  would  have  had  the  same  fate  as  the 
city  of  Troy. 

But  if  they  had  authority  enough  to  prevent  the 
mob  from  burning  the  palace  of  the  Viceroy,  they  had 
not  the  power  of  preserving  from  pillage  all  that 
nobleman's  effects.  A  part  of  his  furniture  was 
carried  off,  and,  to  secure  the  safety  of  his  person,  he 
v/as  himself  obliged  to  take  refuge  with  his  wife  and 
son  in  the  monastery  of  the  Cordeliers,  who  were  the 
onl\-  monks  not  among  the  number  of  his  enemies. 
These  fathers  assigned  him  a  commodious  lodging 
enough  in  their  convent,  which  is  of  vast  extent.  This 
consisted  of  the  apartments  belonging  to  the  provincial 
of  the  order,  who  was  not  at  that  time  in  Mexico. 
It  was  a  large  co7'ps  de  logis,  which  contained  several 
suites  of  apartments  ver}-  small  and  very  plainly 
furnished,  excepting  where  his  reverence  slept.  For 
this  last  it  was  composed  of  five  or  six  rooms,  and  it 
may  be  said  of  it  that  nothing  was  there  seen  which 
spoke  of  religious  poverty. 

Salzedo,  Blanca,  and   I  joined  the  Count   in   the 


352  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

convent  the  same  night.  His  lordship's  principal 
domestics  and  our  own  also  came  there  ;  and,  in  short, 
we  were  all  provided  with  lodging,  some  well,  some  ill. 
On  the  morrow,  at  the  break  of  day,  my  lord  sent  for 
my  father-in-law  and  myself  to  deliberate  with  us  on 
what  was  to  be  done  in  this  melancholy  conjuncture. 
"  There  is  no  other  course  to  take,"  said  Don  Juan, 
"than  promptly  to  send  a  man  of  spirit  and  confidence 
to  the  Duke  de  Olivarez  to  inform  him  of  this  revolt ; 
and  I  do  not  think  j'ou  can  make  choice  of  a  person 
better  calculated  for  executing  this  commission  than 
Don  Cherubin." — "  I  am  of  your  opinion,  Salzedo," 
said  the  Count:  "Don  Cherubin  must  immediately 
set  out  for  Madrid :  it  is  impossible  to  use  too  much 
haste." 

The  Viceroy  employed  the  whole  of  the  day  in 
preparing  despatches  for  the  Court,  and  giving  me 
instructions ;  and  on  the  morrow  I  took  the  route  to 
Vera  Cruz,  w^ith  a  valet-de-diambre  and  a  lackey.  I 
left  his  Excellency,  the  Countess,  Don  Juan,  and 
my  wife  in  the  convent  of  the  Cordeliers  at  Mexico  ; 
and  making  all  possible  haste,  arrived  at  Vera  Cruz, 
where  I  learned  that  the  Archbishop  Don  Alonzo  de 
Zerna  had  sailed  for  Spain  two  days  before.  As 
there  is  always  in  the  harbour  of  this  town  a  vessel 
prepared  for  the  service  of  the  Viceroy,  I  embarked 
on  board  it  without  loss  of  time,  and  set  sail  for 
Cadiz,  where  I  arrived  after  a  short  and  succ-essful 
passage. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  353 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DON   CHERUBIN    HAVING    ARRIVED    AT    MADRID,    GOES    TO 
WAIT   ON    THE  DUKE  DE  OLIVAREZ,  AND  GIVES  HIM  A 

DETAIL  OF  THE  INSURRECTION  A  T  MEXICO HOIV  THE 

PRIME  MINISTER  IVAS  AFFECTED  BY  THIS  REPORT, 
AND  OF  THE  RESOLUTIONS  WHICH  WERE  TAKEN  IN 
CONSEQUENCE  IN  THE  COUNCIL  OF  HIS  CATHOLIC 
MAJESTY — THE    VICEROY    RETURNS    IN    TRIUMPH    TO 

HIS  PALACE HIS  DISGRACE HE  RETURNS  TO  MADRID 

DON  CHERUBIN  AND  HIS  FAMILY  FOLLOW  HIM. 

I  HAD  no  sooner  set  my  foot  on  shore  in  Cadiz,  than 
hastening  to  traverse  Andalusia  and  New  Castile,  I 
was  speedily  at  Madrid.  I  flew  immediately  to  the 
prime  minister,  who  gave  me  audience  the  moment 
my  arrival  was  announced  to  him.  I  delivered  to 
him  the  despatches  with  which  I  was  charged.  He 
read  them  with  the  attention  which  they  deserved, 
and  seeing  the  Count  de  Gelves  stated  that  I  could 
instruct  him  in  all  the  circumstances  of  the  revolt,  he 
failed  not  to  demand  from  me  an  ample  detail.  I 
obeyed  him,  like  one  who  was  well  prepared  with  his 
story.  I  will  in  good  faith  confess,  that  in  my  relation 
I  did  as  much  disservice  as  I  could  to  the  Archbishop 
Don  Alonzo.  I  painted  him  in  the  blackest  colours, 
and  finished  by  throwing  on  the  arrogance  of  this 
prelate  all  the  blame  of  this  fatal  event. 

The  Duke  de  Olivarez  read  in  full  Council  the 
despatch  of  the  Count  de  Gelves,  and  all  considered 
the  affair  important.  It  was  judged  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  punish  the  most  guilty  of  the  rioters,  in  order 
to  confirm  in  thetr  duty  the  other  provinces  of 
America,  the  which,  seeing  themselves  with  regret 
under  the  yoke  of  Spain,  might  be  tempted  to  follow 
the  bad  example  of  the  Mexicans.     It  was  decreed 

Z 


354  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

in  Council  that  Don  Martin  de  Carillo,  a  priest  and 
inquisitor  of  Valladolid,  should  be  sent  to  Mexico  in 
quality  of  commissioner,  to  take  the  necessary  infor- 
mations, with  power  rigidly  to  punish  some  of  the 
principal  inhabitants,  for  not  having-  pressed  forward 
at  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  to  range  themselves 
under  the  royal  standard.  They  resolved  also  to 
change  the  officers  of  the  Chancery,  for  having  seen 
the  Viceroy  in  danger  without  taking  the  slightest 
step  to  bring  him  out  of  it. 

With  regard  to  the  Archbishop  Don  Alonzo,  it 
was  in  vain  for  him  to  solicit  at  Court:  not  one  of 
the  Council  would  undertake  his  defence,  so  much 
did  they  consider  his  conduct  deserving  of  censure. 
They  even  deprived  him  of  his  rich  benefice  to  make 
him  Bishop  of  Zamora,  a  small  diocese  of  four  thousand 
crowns  a  year.  It  was  in  a  manner  from  a  bishop 
becoming  a  miller;  but  it  was  still  thought  that  the 
Court  showed  sufficient  consideration  for  the  house 
of  Zerna. 

The  prime  minister,  who  was  troubled  at  the  sedition 
of  the  Mexicans,  did  not  retain  me  long-  at  Madrid. 
He  speedily  sent  me  back  with  a  despatch  for  the 
Viceroy.  I  returned  to  Mexico  with  Don  Martin  de 
Carillo,  whose  arrival  spread  terror  through  that  city. 
The  citizens,  feeling  themselves  for  the  most  part 
culpable,  were  in  dread  of  punishment.  Everybody 
judged  that  the  Court  would  make  an  example,  and 
every  one  was  trembling  for  himself  or  for  his  friends. 
But  they  were  quit  for  their  fear:  Don  Martin  reas- 
sured them  by  declaring  to  them,  on  the  part  of  the 
King,  that  his  Majest)',  choosing  rather  to  listen  to 
his  clemency  than  his  justice,  accorded  them  a  general 
amnesty. 

This    declaration   prodiiced   an   admirable    effect. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  5^5 

The  people,  who  every wlieie  change  like  the  wind, 
were  touched  with  the  kindness  of  their  sovereign, 
and  cried:  "Long  live  our  good  King  Philip!  long 
live  the  Count  de  Gelves,  his  minister  !  "  There  might 
be  seen  those  same  rioters,  who  would  have  massacred 
this  nobleman,  running  in  crowds  to  fetch  him  from 
the  monaster}-  of  the  Cordeliers,  and  conduct  him  to 
his  palace  with  acclamations  and  excessive  demon- 
trations  of  joy. 

The  Viceroy,  who  hitherto  had  not  left  the  convent 
since  the  time  he  had  taken  refuge  in  it,  seeing  he 
could  now  with  impunity  show  himself  in  public, 
returned  home,  where  (what  afforded  him  an  agree- 
able surprise)  he  found  everything  in  the  same  order 
he  had  left  it  when  he  went  to  the  monks ;  for,  by 
the  greatest  good  fortune  in  the  world,  the  gentlemen 
who  had  had  power  enough  over  the  populace  to  calm 
their  fury  and  make  them  extinguish  the  fire,  had, 
at  the  same  time,  had  the  precaution  of  having  the 
palace  doors  guarded  by  the  mutineers  themselves, 
forbidding  them  to  plunder,  lest  there  should  come 
orders  from  the  Court  which  might  make  them  re- 
pent it. 

I  forgot  to  sa}%  that  when,  on  my  return  from 
Spain,  I  was  giving  an  account  of  my  journey  to 
ni}'  lord,  he  asked  me  one  question.  "  How  did  the 
Duke  de  Oiivarez  receive  \ou?"  said  he;  "how  do 
}ou  consider  him  disposed  towards  me  ?  " — "  He  gave 
me  a  most  gracious  reception,"  replied  I;  "and  as 
far  as  one  can  guess  the  mind  of  this  minister,  he 
appears  full  of  esteem  and  friendship  for  you.  More- 
over, I  can  tell  j'ou  that  I  heard  him  pronounce  your 

eulogium    in    terms  " — "  So    much   the   worse," 

interrupted  the  Vicero)'  with  precipitation;  "that 
makes  me  suspect  him,  as  does  also  the  letter  you 


356  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

have  brought  nie  from  him.  This  letter  is  too  flatter- 
ing not  to  alarm  me.  I  do  not  know,  but  I  have  an 
idea  that  he  wishes  to  put  the  Count  de  Serralvo  in 
my  place,  and  I  do  not  think  I  am  influenced  b\'  a 
false  presentiment." — "  You  deceive  \-ourself,  perhaps," 
said  I;  "and  the  Duke  rather  thinks  of  prolonging 
your  government." — "  I  dare  not,"  said  he  with  a 
sigh,  "  I  dare  not  flatter  myself  with  such  a  hope.  I 
expect  no  other  than  orders  to  recal  me  to  Court." 

In  effect,  three  months  after,  there  arrived  from 
Madrid  a  courier,  who  placed  in  the  Count's  hand  a 
packet  from  the  Duke  de  Olivarez.  Tlie  prime 
minister  informed  him  that  his  Majesty,  wishing  to 
have  him  near  his  person,  appointed  him  to  one  of 
tiie  principal  employments  in  his  household,  and  had 
just  named  the  Marquis  de  Serralvo  for  the  Vice- 
royalty  of  New  Spain.  The  Count  de  Gelves,  then 
losing  the  hope  of  being  continued  in  his  post,  took 
his  part  with  a  good  grace.  He  now  thought  only 
of  returning  to  Madrid  with  all  his  wealth,  and  of 
making  preparations  for  his  departure.  On  our  part, 
Don  Salzedo  and  I  prepared  to  follow  him  with  our 
small  efi'ects,  which  amounted  to  the  worth  of  two 
hundred  thousand  crowns.  By  this  it  may  be  judged 
how  much  his  Excellency  carried  off.  Finally,  we 
set  out  from  Mexico ;  and  it  may  be  said  that  the 
day  of  our  departure  we  presented  a  spectacle  to  the 
Americans,  which  gave  ample  scope  for  their  curses. 
The  wags,  at  seeing  two  hundred  mules  loaded  with 
bales  of  go\:)ds,  made  themselves  a  little  merry  at 
our  expense,  and  we  repaired  with  their  money  to 
Vera  Cruz. 

We  now  awaited  in  this  town  the  arrival  of  the  new 
Viceroy,  to  embari^  on  board  the  \'essel  in  which  he 
should  arrive.     As  roon  a>  he  disembarked,  the  Count 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  357 

and  he  had  a  conversation  together.  During  two 
da\'s  they  held  repeated  conferences  on  the  affairs  of 
New  Spain ;  after  which  they  sep.'.rated  with  more 
politeness  than  friendship,  one  of  them  proceeding, 
meagre  enough,  to  Mexico,  and  the  other  returning 
well  fattened  to  Madrid. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

IN  WHAT  MANNER   THE   COUNT  DE  G ELVES  WAS   RECEIVED 

AT  COURT HIS  VISIT  TO   I  HE  PRIME  MINISTER — THE 

DUKE    DE     OLIVAREZ    MAKES     HIM    GRAND     EQUERRY 

OF     THE     COURSE     TAKEN    BV    SAl.ZEDO     AND     DON 

CHERUBIN — ONE  BECOMES  STEWARD   AND   THE  OTHER 
SECRETARY  TO  THE  DUKE  DE  G ELVES. 

We  now  set  sail  for  Cadiz,  and  if  we  had  met  on  our 
way  some  large  vessel  from  Algiers  or  Salee,  as  occa- 
sionally happens,  the  rencounter  would  have  b  en 
fortunate  for  its  crew;  but  we  had  the  happiness  of 
completinL:^  our  voyage  without  meeting  an}'  ship  of 
unfavourable  omen.  Arrived  at  Cadiz,  we  remained 
there  no  longer  than  was  necessary  to  put  ourselves 
in  a  state  for  proceeding  to  Madrid,  to  which  we 
proceeded  by  easy  journeys.  We  alighted  at  the 
Hotel  de  Gelves,  in  the  Square  of  Servada,  near  the 
Church  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Peace.  It  is  not  the  best 
in  the  town,  but  it  is  commodious,  and  we  found  our- 
selves more  comfortably  lodged  there  than  we  had 
been  with  the  Cordeliers  in  Mexico. 

On  the  morrow  after  our  arrival,  the  Count  went  to 
wait  on  the  prime  minister,  by  whom  he  was  received 
with  distinction.  He  took  him  into  his  closet,  and 
embracing  him  in  a  manner  whicli  ciispla\ed  esteem 
and  friendship,  ''You  doubtless,"  said  he,  "think  that 
it  is  I  v/ho  desired  to  put  the  Marquis  de  Serralvo  in 


358  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

your  place  ;  but  learn  that  }'0U  are  mistaken.  If  you 
have  not  been  ;Dntinued  in  your  post,  you  have  nobody 
to  blame  but  yourself;  it  is  your  own  fault.  All 
the  Council  were  no  less  unanimous  in  blaming  your 
conduct  than  that  of  the  Archbishop  ;  and  as  that 
prelate  had  been  punished,  they  have  deemed  it 
necessary  to  punish  }'ou  also,  in  order  to  satisfy  the 
Mexicans,  who  have  the  affair  of  the  salt  at  heart. 

"I  dared  not,"  pursued  the  Duke,  "undertake  your 
defence  ;  far  from  doing  so  successfully,  I  should  but 
have  incensed  the  Council  against  you.  But  if  I  have 
not  been  able  to  get  your  government  prolonged,  I 
have  at  least  obtained  the  King's  consent  to  your 
filling  the  place  of  Grand  Equerry,  and  this  ought  to 
console  you  for  the  loss  of  a  place  which  has  not  been 
unproductive  to  you  during  five  good  years."  The 
Count  de  Gelves,  mistrustful  as  he  naturally  was, 
took  the  minister's  word  ;  and  imagining  that  he  owed 
him  nothing  but  thanks,  vowed  an  eternal  attachment 
to  him,  and  became  one  of  his  best  friends. 

The  Duke  then  conducted  him  to  the  King,  to 
whom  he  said,  on  presenting  him  :  "  Sire,  I  bring  \'ou 
one  of  the  most  zealous  of  }'Our  servants,  and  of  all 
Viceroys  him  who  has  perhaps  best  known  how. to 
make  your  royal  authority  respected  in  the  Indies. 
He  comes  to  thank  your  Majesty  for  having  hon- 
oured him  with  the  office  of  Grand  Equerry,  with 
which  he  is  so  much  the  more  pleased,  as  it  will 
procure  him  every  day  the  happiness  of  seeing  his 
master."  The  young  monarch  gave  the  Count  de 
Gelves  a  reception  of  the  most  flattering  kind  ;  and, 
as  he  was  very  curious,  did  not  fail  to  ask  him  a 
number  of  questions  about  the  Mexicans,  and,  among 
others,  the  following.  "Count,"  said  he,  "is  it  possible 
that  among  the  Indian  women,  there  are  any  sufifi- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  359 

ciently  attractive  to  merit  the  notice  of  Europeans?" 
Our  Viceroy  reddened  at  this  question,  imaLjining 
that  his  Majesty  asked  it  with  a  malicious  motive  ; 
and  to  reproach  him  for  his  taste  for  the  blacks. 
"Sire,"  replied  he,  a  little  agitated,  "there  are  some 
among  them  who  maybe  looked  upon  without  horror  ; 
but  after  all,  the  prettiest  of  them  ceases  not  to  be  a 
disagreeable  object  to  eyes  accustomed  to  the  beauties 
of  Madrid."  If  the  Countess  de  Gelves  had  heard 
her  spouse  talk  thus,  I  believe  she  would  not  have 
answered  for  his  sincerity. 

The  Count  de  Gelves  having  entered  upon  his 
office  of  Grand  Equerry,  augmented  his  household 
by  the  addition  of  several  officers,  though  he  had 
before  a  number  sufficiently  large,  and  spared  nothing 
to  make  a  figure  at  Court  becoming  his  rank.  As 
for  Don  Juan  Salzedo  and  myself,  we  begged  that 
we  might  be  allowed  to  quit  him,  and  establish  our- 
sclves°as  private  gentlemen  in  Madrid,  having,  thanks 
to  his  bounties,  enough  to  support  us  honourably  ; 
but  this  nobleman  refused  his  consent  to  our  wishes. 
"  My  friends,"  said  he,  "  let  us  not  separate.  I  have 
too  much  accustomed  myself  to  the  pleasure  of  bemg 
in  your  society,  to  consent  to  your  leaving  me.  Con- 
descend, I  entreat  you  both,  to  take  a  part  in  my 
affairs.  Let  one  take  upon  himself  the  administra- 
tion of  my  rents,  and  the  other  be  my  secretary." 

It  was  impossible  to  refuse,  and  we  accordingly 
yielded  to  his  solicitations,  and  accepted  the  offices 
for  which  he  had  designed  us.  Rich  as  I  was,  I 
would  willingly  have  foregone  this  secretaryship  ;  but 
I  accepted  it  out  of  compliance  to  Salzedo,  who, 
being  too  much  attached  to  this  nobleman  to  refuse 
his  rliquest,  was  very  glad  at  the  same  time  to  retain 
near  him  his  daughter  and  his  son-in-law. 


360"  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

DON    CHERUBIN     MEETS     TOSTON    AT    MADRID  —  OF    THE 
INTERVIEW  HE  HAD   WITH  HIM,  AND  THE  DISASTROUS 

ADVENTURE     WHICH     HAPPENED     TO     TOSTON DON 

CHERUBIN  RENDERS  HIM  AN  IMPORTANT  SERVICE. 

I  HAD  another  reason  also  for  acting  as  I  did  :  Blanca 
had  paid  her  court  so  well  to  the  Countess  de  Gelves, 
that  she  had  become  her  favourite.  The  Vice-Queen 
■would  have  been  in  despair  at  losing  her;  and  my 
wife  on  her  side,  delighted  with  this  lady's  attention 
to  her,  repayed  her  with  the  most  lively  and  sincere 
attachment.  This  was  the  principal  reason  which 
induced  me  to  sacrifice  to  the  Count  the  pleasure  of 
being  master  of  my  time. 

As  my  employment  did  not  occupy  me  much,  I 
led  an  agreeable  life  enough.  I  went  almost  every 
morning  to  the  King's  levee,  to  see  the  concourse 
of  noblemen  wlio  came  to  pa}'  their  court  to  the 
monarch  ;  and  in  the  evenings,  in  St  Jerom's  Meadows, 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  contemplating  the  ladies,  among 
whom  I  found  many  who  appeared  to  me  fully  equal 
to  those  of  Mexico.  One  day,  as  I  was  just  going 
out  to  this  promenade,  I  was  not  a  little  surprised  at 
meeting  Toston  in  the  street.  "  How  !"  said  I,  "is  it 
thou  .'  what  art  thou  doing  in  Madrid  ?  I  thought 
thee  in  Alcaraz." — "  My  dear  master,"  replied  he, 
*' you  know  that  our  projects  do  not  always  succeed. 
I  had  proposed  to  return  to  my  own  county,  there  to 
pass  with  Blandina  the  rest  of  my  days;  but  Heaven 
has  not  thought  fit  to  allow  me  that  satisfaction.  I 
happened  to  meet  at  Cadiz  a  Gabriel  Monchique, 
who  carried  off  my  wife,  without  my  having  it  in  my 
pov^cr  to  oppose  him." 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  361 

**  Is  it  possible,"  cried  I,  "  that  this  misfortune  has 
happened  to  you  ?  Recount  to  me,  I  entreat  )'OU,  in 
what  \vay  it  occurred." — "  It  is  a  recital,"  replied 
Toston,  "  which  I  shall  make  you  in  a  few  words. 
On  disembarking  at  Cadiz,  it  happened  to  me  for 
my  sins,  that  I  went  to  lodge  in  St.  Francis  Street, 
at  the  sign  of  the  Pelican.  There  was  in  this  inn  a 
young  English  captain,  whose  ship  was  at  anchor  in 
the  ba\'.  As  soon  as  this  rogue  saw  my  wife,  he  was 
taken  with  her  ;  and  forming  the  design  of  robbing 
me  of  her,  it  was  thus  he  executed  his  intentions :  he 
took  good  care  not  to  betray  his  passion,  lest  I  should 
suspect  and  disappoint  him  by  changing  my  lodging, 
which  I  should  not  have  failed  immediately  to  do  ; 
and  he  affected  so  sober  a  demeanour  that  I  was 
astonished  at  it.  '  Is  it  possible,'  said  I  to  myself, 
that  a  naval  officer  of  that  nation  should  be  so  mild 
and  polished  in  his  behaviour  ? '  This  captain,  whose 
name  was  Cope,  offered  me  a  thousand  little  civili- 
ties, without  appearing  to  take  the  least  pleasure  in 
seeing  Blandina,  and,  in  fact,  scarcely  looking  at  her 
at  all.  I  was  the  dupe  of  this  manoeuvre.  I  treated 
him  with  corresponding  politeness,  and  we  supped 
together  the  first  day,  as  familiarly  as  if  we  had  been 
the  best  friends  in  the  world. 

"  Cope,  while  at  supper,  asked  me  from  what  part 
of  Spain  I  came  .''  '  From  the  village  of  Alcaraz,' 
replied  I,  'near  the  province  of  Murcia.'--'That  is 
fortunate,'  replied  the  Captain.  'I  am  to  sail  in  two 
days  from  Cadiz  for  Alicant.  I  will  land  you,  if  you 
please,  at  Vera,  which  I  believe  is  not  far  from  your 
liome.'  I  accepted  this  offer  with  joy,  imagining  that 
I  could  not  do  a  better  thing,  and  returning  thanks  to 
Heaven  for  having  afforded  me  so  fine  an  opportunity 
of  speedily  returning  to  my  own  countrJ^     I  therefore 


362  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

carried  Blandina  two  days  after  on  board  Cope's 
vessel,  and  he  received  us  with  manners  so  open,  that 
I  congratulated  myself  on  having  made  such  a  good 
acquaintance.  '  Come,'  said  he,  when  we  were  fairly 
out  at  sea,  '  let  us  live  well.  I  have  an  ample  supply 
of  all  kinds  of  eatables,  and  some  excellent  wines. 
Let  us  be  always  at  table  :  that  is  the  way  to  prevent 
the  voj'age  from  growing  tedious.' 

"You  know  my  weakness,"  continued  Toston  ;  "I 
love  a  sprightly  life.  Captain  Cope  had  no  difficulty 
in  persuading  me  to  drink,  and  I  got  as  drunk  as  a 
German.  While  I  was  in  this  pretty  state,  he  had 
me  carried  on  shore  by  his  sailors,  who  left  me  on 
the  ground  extended  at  my  length.  There  I  lay 
in  a  profound  sleep;  from  which  awakening  about 
sunrise,  and  seeing  nothing  of  a  vessel,  I  had  abund- 
ance of  leisure  to  reflect  upon  the  politeness  of  the 
Englishman,  whom  I  cursed  with  so  much  the  more 
reason,  as  he  had  in  his  power,  together  with  my  wife, 
the  coffer  in  which  was  all  my  money,  and  I  was  left 
with  only  twelve  pistoles,  which  I  had  in  my  pocket. 
I  thought  myself  still  fortunate  that  the  sailors  had 
not  robbed  me  even  of  this  sum,  to  repay  themselves 
for  the  trouble  of  bringing  me  on  shore,  and  aban- 
doning me  to  Providence. 

"  Not  knowing  where  I  was,  nor  in  what  direction 
to  turn  my  steps,  I  followed  at  hazard  a  path  which 
conducted  me  to  the  village  of  Alzira  near  Gibraltar, 
from  whence  I  proceeded  to  the  city  of  Ronda.  I 
here  reposed  myself  two  or  three  days :  then,  instead 
of  going  to  my  parents,  to  whom  I  was  no  longer  in 
a  state  to  be  useful,  I  took  the  route  to  Seville  on  a 
hired  mule,  with  a  resolution  to  go  again  to  service,  if 
I  could  meet  with  a  master  who  would  suit  me.  1 
did  not  find  one,  and  judging  that  it  was  at  Madrid  I 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  363 

must  seek  him,  I  took  the  road  to  this  town,  where  I 
have  again  become  a  lackey,  after  having  been  valet- 
de-chambre  to  the  son  of  a  Viceroy." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  you,  my  friend,"  said  I,  when  Toston 
had  finished  his  recital,  "and  I  am  still  more  con- 
cerned for  the  misfortune  of  Blandina.  What  an 
unhappy  adventure  for  her!  I  can  conceive  the  grief 
with  which  she  must  have  been  seized  when  sensible 
of  the  treason  of  the  perfidious  Cope.  Perhaps  she 
actually  died  of  regret." — "No,  no,"  replied  Toston, 
"Blandina  is  not  a  woman  to  imitate  those  heroines 
of  romance,  who,  when  they  find  themselves  in  the 
clutches  of  corsairs,  choose  rather  to  die  than  yield 
to  their  desires.  I  know  very  little  of  the  Creole,  or 
Cope  had  not  much  trouble  in  prevailing  on  her ; 
and  I  do  not  believe,  between  ourselves,  that  he 
wanted  any  Colibri  powder  to  triumph  over  her 
virtue." 

"What  is  it  you  tell  me.?"  cried  I.  "By  this 
account  it  appears  that  Blandina  is  a  jilt." — "Past  a 
doubt,"  replied  Toston.  "  I  suspected  it  at  Mtxico; 
but  she  converted  my  suspicions  into  certainty  on 
our  voyage  to  Cadiz.  There  was  among  the  pas- 
sengers a  young  cavalier,  who  amused  himself  with 
ogling  her;  and  I  remarked  more  than  once  that 
she  replied  to  his  advances  with  glances  of  invitation. 
In  a  word,  she  is  a  little  personage,  the  care  of  whom 
would  have  given  me  abundance  of  trouble  at  Alcaraz, 
where  the  young  cavaliers  are  distinguished  for  spright- 
liness  and  gallantry.  In  fact,  I  can  console  myself 
for  the  loss  of  her.  I  would  only  that  Captain  Cope 
had  made  a  fair  division  with  me — that  he  had  re- 
turned me  my  coffer  and  kept  my  wife." 

"  I  '.m\  very  glad,  my  child,"  said  I,  "  that  you  are 
not  more  afflicted  at  this  loss  of  your  wife;  and,  in 


364  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

reality,  you  have  not  much  cause  to  be  so,  if  Blandina 
be  such  a  character  as  you  have  described.  As  to 
my  part,  you  may  be  assured  that  I  shall  refuse 
nothing  which  may  contribute  to  replace  you  in  a 
state  for  performing  your  journey  to  Alcaraz,  in  a 
manner  agreeable  with  your  wishes.  I  am  also  per- 
suaded that  Don  Alexis  will  not  fail  to  pity  }-our 
misfortune.  He  may  probably  take  you  back  into 
his  service ;  but  perhaps  you  may  be  too  much 
attached  to  your  present  master  to  be  desirous  of 
leaving  him." — "  Oh,  as  to  that,  indeed  I  am  not," 
cried  he,  laughing.  "  My  master,"  who  is  called  Don 
Tomas  Trasgo,  is  an  original  without  a  copy :  he  is 
a  visionary  who  is  possessed  with  a  most  laughable 
kind  cT  faiitasy.  He  says,  and  actually  believes,  that 
he  has,  like  Socrates,  a  familiar  spirit.  '  My  friend,' 
said  he,  when  he  engaged  me  in  his  service,  'know 
that  a  geni  has  taken  a  liking  to  me,  and  instructs 
me  in  all  I  am  desirous  of  knowing.  I  have  an 
interview  with  him  every  morning,  and  I  warn  you 
to  retire  when  you  hear  us  in  conversation  with  each 
other;  for  he  chooses  to  speak  to  me  without  witnesses.' 
"  In  realit}',  one  morning  when  Don  Tomas  was 
in  his  closet,  I  heard  him  talking  aloud,  and  imagined 
that  he  had  some  person  with  him.  Not  at  all  ;  he 
was  entirely  alone.  He  was  speaking  to  and  answer- 
ing himself,  conceiving  that  the  geni  was  actually 
present."  I  burst  out  laughing  at  this  most  extra- 
ordinary portrait,  and  finally  quitted  Toston,  after 
desiring  him  to  come  to  me  on  the  following  day  ; 
which  \\L  failed  not  to  do,  perfectly  persuaded  that 
he  would  be  retained  in  the  family.  He  first  cau.-:ed 
himself  to  be  announced  to  the  Countess,  who  did  not 
refus^t  to  see  him.  He  related  to  her  his  misfortune, 
and  she  appeared  to  pity  him,  though  in  reality  she 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALALIANCA.  365 

cared  very  little  about  the  matter.  "  My  friend," 
said  she,  "we  will  do  something  for  you.  It  is 
enough  that  you  have  eaten  our  bread,  for  us  not  to 
abandon  you  in  your  distress.  Go  and  see  my  son : 
I  doubt  not  that  he  is  well  disposed  to  serve  you." 

Don  Alexis,  to  whom  I  had  already  spoken  of 
him,  and  whom  I  had  engaged  to  take  him  back  into 
hi  s  service  on  the  same  footing  as  before,  received 
him  very  well.  "Welcome  back,  Signior  Toston," 
sail  he,  with  an  air  of  raillery,  "how  do  you  get  on 
with  Captain  Cope  .-'  He  pla}'ed  you,  I  think,  rather 
an  ugly  prank,  but  have  patience ;  perhaps  he  may 
send  you  back  both  your  \\ife  and  mone}'.  Perhaps 
he  has  only  served  }"ou  so  for  a  joke,  and  to  try  how 
you  would  bear  it.  Tell  me  the  whole;  I  like  to 
hear  you  tell  comic  stories;  you  acquit  yourself 
admirably." 

"  And  wh\',  sir,"  said  Toston,  "  would  you  have  me 
relate  a  story  which  you  are  already  acquaii^ted  with, 
and  which  I  cannot  recollect  without  renewing  my 
grief?" — "  Never  mind,"  said  Don  Alexis,  "you  must 
absolutely  tell  it  me ;  the  detail  from  your  own 
mouth  will  amuse  me  exceedingly."  Toston,  to 
satisf}'  him,  complied  with  his  wish,  to  the  infinite 
diversion  of  the  young  lord,  who  interrupted  him 
more  than  once  to  give  way  to  the  most  immoderate 
laughter,  as  if  the  adventure  had  been  the  most 
pleasant  in  the  world. 

When  Don  Alexis  was  tired  of  diverting  himself  at 
Toston's  expense,  he  resumed  his  gravity,  and  said : 
"  Well,  my  friend,  to  console  you  for  the  loss  which 
has  happened  to  you,  come  and  resume  the  employ- 
ment about  my  person  which  you  had  before  )our 
marriage.  Be  again  my  principal  valet,  and  the 
depositary   of  my   secrets,     I    shall   soon  give  you 


366  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

something  to  do,**  added  he.  "  I  have  a  conquest  in 
view,  and  I  have  need  of  \our  advice  to  enable  me 
to  complete  it."  This  speech  highly  rejoiced  Toslon, 
who  that  very  day  quitted  Don  Tornas  and  his  geni, 
to  reside  in  the  Hotel  de  Gelves. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

BY  WHAT  ACCIDENT    TOSTON  MET   WITH  HIS  WIFE,   WHEN 

HE  HAD  ENTIRELY  FORGOTTEN  HER ACCOUNT  WHICH 

SHE  GIVES  OF  THE  CIRCUMSTANCES  A  TTENDING  THEIR 

SEP  A  RA  TION HER    JUS  TIFICA  TION FRESH   CHA  NGE 

WHICH    THIS  RECITAL  PRODUCED  IN  HIS  HE  AFT — HIS 
AFFAIRS  ASSUME  A  BETTER  ASPECT. 

Don  Alexis,  as  soon  as  he  rose  the  following  morning, 
said  to  Toston  :  "You  must  know,  my  friend,  that  I 
have  been  making  a  very  interesting  acquaintance.  I 
will  tell  you  how.  One  morning  when  I  was  walking 
all  alone  on  the  Prado,  I  saw  coming  out  of  a  house 
a  lady  covered  with  a  veil,  whose  noble  and  majestic 
air  prepossessed  me  in  favour  of  her  quality.  She 
took  two  or  three  turns  in  the  walk;  and,  perceiving 
that  I  was  advancing  towards  her  for  the  purpose  of 
surveying  her  more  conveniently,  retired  towards  the 
garden  to  disappoint  my  curiosity  ;  but,  whether  my 
haste  prevented  her,  or  whether  she  was  desirous  of 
giving  me  time  to  join  her,  I  was  at  the  garden  gate 
before  her. 

"'Madam,'  said  I,  saluting  her  with  respectful 
politeness,  'I  must  be  extremely  deficient  in  gallantry, 
if,  meeting  a  person  so  charming  as  yourself,  I  omitted 
to  testify  to  her  the  pleasure  which  the  sight  of  her 
affords  me.'  — '  Signior  Cavalier,'  replied  the  lady, 
*you  are  extremely  liberal  with  your  soft  sayings. 
Far  from  refusing  adoration  to  those  ladies  who  are 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  367 

worthy  of  it,  you  have  very  much  the  air  of  one  who 
offers  it  to  those  who  do  not  deserve  it'  Upon  this 
I  ansv\'ered,  the  lady  retorted,  and  we  separated  after 
a  tolerably  long  conversation." 

"Have  you  ever  seen  her  since  that  time?"  asked 
Toston.  "No,"  replied  the  young  Count,  "I  have 
not,  although  I  go  almost  every  day  to  the  Prado.  If 
she  have  not  come  out  of  the  garden  since  that  day, 
it  is  in  all  probability  because  she  is  desirous  of 
proving  me,  for,  without  vanity,  I  think  she  is  satisfied 
with  me." — "  I  cannot  doubt  it,"  said  Toston ;  "  a 
cavalier  of  your  figure  is  sure  to  please.  What  is  her 
name  }  "  —  "  That  I  do  not  yet  know,"  said  Don 
Alexis.  "  She  forbid  me  to  inquire  who  she  was ; 
and,  for  fear  of  displeasing  her,  I  dared  not  take  any 
measures  to  obtain  that  information." — "  The  devil !  " 
cried  Toston,  "you  are  a  rigid  observer  of  ladies' 
commands;  but  }'OU  must  know  that  they  sometimes 
find  it  convenient  to  be  disobeyed.  Faith,  sir,"  con- 
tinued he,  "  you  are  still  far  enough  out  of  your 
reckoning.  I  see  very  well  that  I  must  have  a  hand 
in  this  business,  or  it  will  turn  out  badly  for  you.  Let 
us  go  directly  to  the  Prado,  and  show  me  the  garden 
from  which  you  saw  }'our  princess  come  out :  I  require 
nothing  more."  Don  Alexis  took  him  at  his  word, 
and  led  him  immediately  to  the  garden  gate. 

When  they  had  got  there,  Toston  said  to  the 
young  Count:  "Leave  me  here,  and  return  home  ;  I 
will  speedily  rejoin  you,  and  be  assured  that  I  will 
inform  you  who  are  the  inhabitants  of  this  house : 
we  will  then  take  our  measures."  Upon  this  assur- 
ance Don  Alexis  returned  to  the  Hotel  de  Gelves, 
and  his  confidant  seated  himself  near  the  garden  gate, 
Vi^aiting  until  perhaps  some  servant  might  come  out, 
from  whom  something  might  probably  be  learned. 


368  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA 

He  had  been  there  more  than  an  hour,  when  all  at 
once  the  gate  opened,  and  presented  to  his  astonished 
e\-cs  a  }'oung  person  whom  he  took  for  Blandina;  as, 
in  effect,  she  it  was  who  appeared  before  him.  She 
immediately  recollected  him,  and  running  to  him 
transported  with  jo}',  threw  herself  into  his  arms  and 
fainted.  The  bad  opinion  which  he  then  had  of  the 
virtue  of  his  wife  prevented  him  from  sharing  in  the 
delight  which  she  experienced  at  this  meeting.  He 
thought  that  it  was  a  pretence,  and  that  the  hussy 
was  perhaps  rather  sorry  than  pleased  at  having  found 
him.  He  did  not,  however,  neglect  the  necessary 
assistance,  and  when  she  had  recovered  the  use  of 
her  senses,  "  Is  it  you,  my  dear  husband,"  cried  she, 
"  is  it  you  whom  I  behold  ?  you  whom  I  thought  at 
the  bottom  of  the  sea .''  you  whom  I  believed  to  be 
numbered  with  the  dead  .-*"  So  saying,  she  embraced 
her  husband  with  manifestations  of  affection  with 
which  he  would  have  been  most  sensibly  touched,  if 
he  could  have  believed  them  to  be  sincere;  but 
instead  of  yielding  to  this  with  a  good  grace,  he 
gently  repulsed  his  wife,  saying,  in  a  serious  tone  : 
'•  No  tricks,  Blandina.  Wherefore  all  these  transports 
of  joy,  or  rather  all  these  false  demonstrations  of 
affection }  Are  you  not  about  to  tell  me  a  finely 
invented  tale,  to  make  me  believe  that  Cope  foolishly 
relinquished  his  prey  .^  No,  no,  do  not  believe  that 
I  am  credulous  enough  to  place  confidence  in  your 
assertion.  Either  you  yielded  to  the  solicitations  of 
this  captain,  or  were  at  least  forced  to  submit  to  his 
violence." 

"  Toston,"  replied  the  Creole,  "  listen  to  me  without 
interruption  ;  I  may  appear  before  you  without  a  blush. 
If  my  honour  was  exposed  to  imminent  peril,  know 
that  it  was  proof  against  it.     I  will  give  you  a  faithful 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  369 

account  of  what  took  place  between  Cope  and  me,  and 
you  s'liall  see  that  instead  of  betra}-ing  you,  I  carried 
my  love  of  virtue  even  farther  than  Lucretia  herse'f. 

"You  recollect,"  continued  she,  "that  perfidious 
supper  which  the  Englishman  gave  us  on  board  his 
ship.  While  you  were  drinking  with  him  I  retired  to 
a  small  cabin,  which  he  told  me  had  been  prepared  for 
you  and  me,  and  slept  there  tranquilly  till  the  morn- 
inf]^.  When  I  awoke,  and  found  that  you  were  not 
by  my  side,  I  arose  to  seek  you.  At  this  moment 
Cope  entered  my  cabin,  affecting  an  air  of  the  most 
excessive  sorrow.  '  Madam,'  said  he,  *  you  behold 
me  in  despair;  an  accident  has  this  night  happened 
for  which  I  shall  never  be  able  to  console  myself. 
Signior  Toston,  your  husband,  while  leaning  over  the 
side  in  his  drunken  state,  fell  into  the  sea  and  was 
drowned.     I  shall  never  get  over  this  fatal  accident.' 

"  At  this  melancholy  intelligence  I  made  the  vessel 
resound  with  my  piercing  shrieks.  I  tore  my  hair,  I 
was  like  one  mad.  In  the  meantime  our  captain,  act- 
ing the  part  of  a  man  in  deep  affliction,  sighed,  groaned, 
and  seemed  desirous  of  giving  encouragement  to  my 
grief  He  had  during  two  entire  days  the  patience  to 
hear  me  utter  my  complaints  and  witness  the  flowing 
of  m\'  tears,  without  venturing  to  say  an}'thing  to  me 
in  the  way  of  consolation.  On  the  contrary,  the  traitor 
irritated  my  affliction  by  the  regret  he  manifested  at 
having  taken  }'ou  on  board  his  vessel.  He  bitterly 
accused  himself  of  having  been  the  cause  of  your  death, 
with  which  he  was  incessantly  reproaching  himself. 

"  But  on  the  third  day  he  deemed  it  time  to  throw 
off  the  mask;  and  assuming  a  different  character, 
'  Beautiful  Blandina,'  said  he,  '  it  is  no  doubt  melan- 
choly to  lose  a  person  whom  one  loves ;  nevertheless, 
whatever  reason  we  may  have  to  mourn  such  a  loss, 

2  A 


370  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

it  is  better  to  listen  to  the  voice  of  consolation  than 
obstinately  to  persist  in  grief.  After  all,  at  your  age 
the  death  of  a  husband  ought  not  to  give  you  so 
much  uneasiness.  Young  and  handsome  as  }'Ou  are, 
you  cannot  long  be  in  want  of  a  new  one:  I  am  even 
sensible  of  having  one  to  propose  to  you  ;  it  is  my- 
self. If  you  have  no  aversion  to  my  person,  I  am  a 
candidate  for  the  preference.'  I  thanked  Cope  for 
the  honour  he  intended  me,  and  rejected  witliout 
hesitation  his  proposal.  Besides  that  he  was  not  at 
all  to  my  liking,  I  was  at  that  moment  in  a  disposi- 
tion very  unfavourable  for  a  lover. 

"  The  Englishman  employed  five  or  six  days  in 
making  love  to  me  very  politely;  but  judging  that 
by  so  doing  he  was  taking  the  longest  metiiod  of 
arriving  at  his  object,  he  changed  his  courteous 
manners  for  the  rough  deportment  of  a  sailor;  and  I 
confess  I  then  had  need  of  all  the  resolution  with 
■which  Heaven  inspired  me,  to  be  able  to  resist  him. 
Fortunately  for  me,  my  opposition,  instead  of  in- 
creasing his  violence,  caused  it  to  relax.  He  suddenly 
passed  from  love  to  contempt.  He  ceased  to  torment 
me,  and,  viewing  me  with  a  disdainful  air,  '  For  a 
servant  maid,'  said  he,  '  methinks  you  are  extremely 
inexorable.  Recover  yourself,  my  love  ;  I  will  not  be 
indebted  to  violence  for  a  victory  which  I  despise.* 
At  the  same  time  he  caused  me  to  be  taken  on  shore 
by  two  of  his  sailors,  whom  he  ordered  to  convey  me 
to  the  nearest  village,  and  there  leave  me.  The  men 
did  not  fulfil  with  perfect  honour  the  commands  of 
their  captain.  They  did  indeed  conduct  me  to  the 
village,  and  then  abandoned  me;  but,  considering 
that  I  was  a  woman  whom,  in  all  probability,  they 
would  never  see  again,  they  carried  off  with  them  the 
trunk  in  which  our  money  was  deposited. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  371 

*'  I  had  happily  about  thirty  pistoles  in  my  purse, 
and  a  large  diamond  on  my  finger.  With  such  re- 
commendations, assistance  may  be  found  in  any 
place  inhabited  by  man.  The  master  and  mistress  of 
the  village  inn  to  which  I  had  gone,  took  an  interest 
in  m\'  misfortunes.  I  had  no  sooner  related  to  them 
my  story,  than  they  pitied  and  offered  me  their 
.'^ervices,  with  abundance  of  execrations  on  the  captain 
and  his  sailors.  I  inquired  in  what  part  of  Spain  I 
was.  "You  are  in  the  village  of  Molina,'  replied  my 
host,  'on  the  coast  of  Grenada,  between  Marbellin 
and  Malaga,  about  twelve  leagues  from  the  city  of 
Antequerra,  to  which  I  will,  if  you  please,  m\self 
conduct  you.' — 'You  will  oblige  me,'  replied  I,  '  my 
design  being  to  go  again  to  service  in  the  family  of 
some  person  of  quality,  if  I  can  there  meet  with  any 
sucii  who  will  engage  me.' — 'You  need  not  doubt  it,' 
replied  he;  '  Antequerra  is  a  populous  town,  in  which 
there  are  resident  a  great  number  of  nobility.  I  have 
acquaintance  there,'  added  he  ;  '  I  know,  among  othe>'<;, 
a  good  lady  who  .was  formerly  duenna  in  a  house 
where  I  was  servant :  I  will  take  you  to  her,  and  I  am 
sure  she  will  very  soon  obtain  you  a  place.' 

"  I  accordingly  set  out  with  my  host  for  Antequerra, 
and  as  soon  as  we  arrived  there,  he  went  to  see  the 
old  governante.  He  told  her  my  unhappy  story,  at 
which  she  was  so  much  affected  that  she  said  to  him. : 
'  Bring  this  unfortunate  woman  hither ;  I  offer  her 
bed  and  board;  I  espouse  her  interests;  I  take  her 
under  my  protection.'  To  suppress  superfluous  cir- 
cumstances, this  lady  placed  me  with  Donna  Leonora 
de  Pedrera,  daughter  of  a  gentleman  of  Antequerra, 
with  whom,  after  the  death  of  her  father,  I  came  to 
Madrid,  to  the  house  of  Donna  Helena  de  Toralva, 
her  aunt,  whose  sole  heiress  she  is. 


372  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

"I  have  nothing  more  to  tell  you,"  continued  Blan- 
dina.  "I  have  given  you  an  account  of  m\'  conduct, 
and  I  think  you  ought  to  be  satisfied  with  your  wife." 
— "I  am  perfectly  so,"  said  Toston,  "and  things  being 
as  you  have  related,  it  would  be  unjust  in  me  not  to 
be  so.  I  will  confess  to  you  (excuse  my  candour) 
that  I  should  not  have  expected  so  much  resistance 
on  3^our  part ;  but,  between  ourselves,  the  delicacy  of 
Cope  astonishes  me  greatly ;  and  it  must  be  confessed, 
that  if  your  tale  be  truth,  it  does  not  look  very  much 
like  it." — "  I  am  perfectly  of  your  opinion,"  said  slie ; 
"  my  escape  was  a  narrow  one." — "  That  I  am  sure 
of,"  returned  the  husband;  "I  was  seized  during  your 
recital  with  a  cold  sweat,  from  which  I  have  i;ot  yet 
recovered.  Independent  of  the  risk  you  ran  from 
this  captain,  \-ou  were  scarcely  exposed  to  less  danger 
from  the  two  rogues  of  sailors  who  conducted  you  to 
Molina.  You  were  very  lucky  that  they  only  robbed 
you  of  your  money. 

"  Come,  then,  my  dear  wife,"  continued  he,  *'  let  us 
say  no  more  about  it.  We  at  last  have  met  together 
again,  with  the  exception  of  property,  much  in  the 
same  state  as  on  our  departure  from  Cadiz.  God  be 
praised  for  it.  What  ought  to  console  us,  my  child, 
isj  that  we  are  about  to  make  a  new  fortune.  The 
Count  de  Gelves  has  returned  from  the  Indies  with 
immense  riches,  and  has  been  made  Grand  Equerry. 
Don  Cherubin  de  la  Ronda,  my  old  master,  is  his 
secretary,  and  I  am  once  more  valet-dc-chainbre  to 
Don  Alexis.  As  this  young  nobleman  advances  in 
age,  he  is  furnished  with  more  money  for  his  pleasures; 
and  as  I  have  become  administrator  of  his  money,  my 
place  will  be  every  da\'  grooving  better." 

•■  Is  T)o\\  Alexis  still  gallant .''  "  inquired  Blandina. 
'More  than  ever,"'  replied  Toston:  "he  is  at  present 


THt,  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  373 

enamoured  of  a  lady  whom  he  saw  come  out  of  this 
garden  a  few  days  ago,  and  this  lady  may  very  pro- 
bably be  Donna  Leonora,  your  mistress." — "It  is  she 
herself,"  said  the  Creole ;  "  for  she  told  me  that  one 
morning  a  cavalier  accosted  her  in  the  walk,  and  that 
she  had  a  long  conversation  with  him." — "And  how," 
asked  Toston,  "  did  she  appear  to  be  affected  by  the 
said  interview  .''  " — "  Not  unfavourably,"  replied  the 
attendant.  "  I  assure  you  that  if  he  had  another,  he 
might  succeed  in  obtaining  her  affections.  Moreover, 
I  can  tell  you,  I  do  not  know  whether  my  mistress 
be  not  afraid  of  again  seeing  this  cavalier ;  she  has 
not  gone  out  of  the  garden  since  the  day  she  spoke 
to  him,  most  likely  lest  she  should  meet  with  him." 

"  Fine  news  for  my  master,"  cried  Toston  ;  "  I  will 
carry  them  to  him  forthwith,  I  bid  you  not  adieu, 
my  dear  Blandina,  my  faithful  love  ;  we  shall  see  each 
other  again.  Remain  with  Donna  Leonora;  the 
interest  of  Don  Alexis  requires  it.  Second  with  your 
good  offices  the  endeavours  we  are  about  in  order  to 
win  her."  After  this  conversation  this  couple  separated, 
protesting  on  both  sides  that  they  pardoned  fortune 
the  trick  she  had  pla\'ed  them,  in  consideration  of  the 
pleasure  they  experienced  in  meeting  each  other  again. 


CHAPTER    X. 

CONTINUATION  OF   THE   PRECEDING   CHAPTER BLANDINA 

INTRODUCES    HER    HUSBAND     TO    HER    MISTRESSES — ■ 

THEIR    INTERVIEW WHAT    WAS     RESOLVED     ON    BY 

TOSTON    AND    HIS    WIFE   IN    FAVOUR    OF    THE    YOUNG 
COUNT  DE   G ELVES. 

Toston,  before  he  returned  to  Don  Alexis,  came  to 
inform  n^.e  that  he  had  found  Blandina ;   and  after 


374  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

relating  to  me  all  the  conversation  he  had  with  her, 
"  Well,  sir,"  said  lie,  "  what  do  }'Ou  think  of  that  ?  Do 
you  think  that  all  she  told  me  about  Captain  Cope  is 
to  be  taken  literally  ?  As  for  me,  I  tell  you  candidl\-, 
I  do  not  believe  it  at  all." 

"It  is  true,"  replied  I,  "that  one  may  doubt  it 
without  being-  thought  particularly  incredulous;  how- 
ever, the  best  thing  a  husband  can  do  in  such  a  case, 
is  to  persuade  himself  that  his  wife  has  told  him  the 
truth  :  that  is  what  I  would  do  to  rid  myself  of  all 
uneasiness.  But,  m\-  friend,"  said  I,  "  you  made  no 
mention  in  your  story  of  the  child  which  Blandina 
must  have  brought  into  the  world  since  she  quitted 
INIexico."^ — "  Ah,  truly,  you  bring  it  to  my  recollec- 
tion," cried  Toston  ;  "my  wife  forgot  to  tell  me,  and 
I  to  ask  anything  about  it.  When  I  see  her  again 
I  will  not  fail  to  inquire  about  this  child,  though 
nature  does  but  half  speak  to  me  in  his  favour." 

Toston  here  took  leave  of  me,  saying:  "Will  you 
allow  me.  sir,  to  leave  you  now,  in  order  to  wait  on 
Don  Alexis,  who  doubtless  is  expecting  me  with 
impatience.'*  I  shall  delight  him  with  the  information 
I  got  from  Blandina  about  his  mistress." — ''Go.  run 
my  lad,"  said  I;  "when  agreeable  news  are  to  be 
carried  to  a  lover,  one  cannot  make  too  much  haste. 
I  doubt  not  but  Don  Alexis  will  speedily  place  Donna 
Leonora  de  Pedrera  among  his  conquests,  since  he  has 
the  advantage  of  your  assistance  and  your  wife." 

As  soon  as  Don  Alexis  saw  his  confidant,  he  hastily 
advanced  towards  him.  "Well,"  said  he,  "have  \'ou 
discovered  who  are  the  inhabitants  of  the  house  from 
which  I  saw  my  divinity  come  out  .-*  " — "I  have  done 
more  than  that,"  replied  the  valet ;  "  I  have  learned 
the  name  and  quality  of  your  goddess.  She  is  called 
Donna  Leonora  de  Pedrera,  the  daughter  of  a  gentle- 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  375 

man  of  Antequerra,  after  whose  death  she  came  to 
Madrid,  and  is  now  living  at  the  house  you  saw 
with  Donna  Helena  de  Toralva,  whose  niece  and 
sole  heiress  she  is." — "You  have  become  very  well 
informed  in  a  short  time,"  said  the  Count.  "And 
I  have  not  yet  told  you  all,"  returned  Toston  ;  "  I 
know,  from  good  authority,  that  she  has  taken  a 
liking  for  you." 

"  Hey !  how  the  deuce,"  cried  Don  Alexis,  "  have 
you  been  able  to  discover  even  the  sentiments  of  this 
lady  .^  who  could  have  i^iven  you  the  information.?" 
— "Chance,"  replied  Toston;  "that  served  me  much 
better  than  my  own  ingenuity,  if  indeed  it  may  be 
called  a  service,  to  have  brought  my  wife  unexpectedly 
to  my  eyes." — "What  say  you?"  cried  the  young 
lord  in  surprise  ;  "  have  you  found  Blandina.''  " — "  Yes, 
sir;  Heaven  had  the  kindness  to  restore  her  to  me, 
without  my  having  asked  the  favour,"  replied  the 
confidant,  "  and,  what  is  very  fortunate  for  you,  she 
is  waiting-maid  to  Donna  Leonora." — "You  enchant 
me,"  cried  Don  Alexis,  in  transport,  "by  informing 
me  that  Blandina  is  in  the  way  to  serve  me.  I  am 
sure  she  will  not  refuse  to  carry  a  note  from  me  to 
Leonora." — "  No,  I  will  answer  for  that,"  said  the 
valet;  "and  you  may  assure  yourself  of  all  the  ser- 
vices which  depend  upon  her  interference." 

The  young  Count  de  Gelves,  profiting  by  the  op- 
portunity which  thus  presented  itself  of  declaring  his 
love  to  Leonora,  wrote  a  letter  which  he  charged 
Toston  to  get  delivered  to  the  lady.  The  confidant 
went  accordingly  on  the  following  morning  to  the 
Prado,  and  there  found  his  wife  awaiting  him  at  the 
garden  gate.  He  accosted  her  with  a  gallant  and  affec- 
tionate air.  "  My  dear  Blandina,"  said  he,  "  before 
we  enter  upon  ray  master's  affairs,  permit  me  to  con- 


376  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

verse  witli  you  a  moment  about  my  own.  Yesterday, 
if  you  remember,  you  did  not  say  the  least  word  about 
the  child  with  which  you  were  pregnant  when  fortune 
separated  us  near  Gibraltar." — "Alas!"  replied  she, 
"  my  poor  girl  died  almost  in  the  moment  of  her 
birth,  a  short  time  after  I  had  entered  into  the  service 
of  Donna  Leonora,  and  hec  death  would  have  been 
infallibly  succeeded  by  my  own,  had  not  the  most 
particular  care  been  taken  of  me  ;  but  my  mistress,  who 
had  conceived  an  esteem  for  me,  omitted  nothing  for 
m\'  preservation.  I  owe  my  life  to  her  ;  and,  out  of 
gratitude,  have  vowed  eternal  fidelity  to  her," 

"  You  have  done  very  properly,"  replied  Toston  ; 
"such  a  mistress  well  deserves  your  love.  Does  she 
know  that  you  have  met  with  your  husband  .-'  " — "  I 
have  informed  her,"  replied  Blandina,  "  and  she  has 
permitted  me  to  introduce  you  to  her,  whicli  I  will 
do  immediately  :  follow  me."  So  saying,  she  ushered 
him  into  the  garden,  and  pointing  to  two  ladies  who 
were  walking  there,  "These,"  said  she,  "  are  Donna 
Leonora  and  her  aunt.  Let  us  join  them,  and  give 
them  to  see  that  I  have  not  married  a  man  ill  made 
or  destitute  of  merit." 

Thus  saying,  she  took  him  by  the  hand  and  con- 
ducted him  to  the  ladies,  and  accosted  them  jocularly. 
"Ladies,"  said  she,  "here  is  the  husband  whom  I 
thought  dead,  and  for  whom  I  shed  so  many  tears. 
Look  at  him,  and  tell  me  if  }ou  do  not  think  he 
was  worthy  of  them." — "  Assuredly,"  replied  Donna 
Helena;  "husbands  less  agreeable  are  often  deeply 
lamented."  Here  Toston  made  a  profound  reverence 
to  the  lady  who  had  spoken,  and  cast  his  eyes  towards 
the  ground  in  respectful  silence.  "  They  are  both 
well  matched,"  said  Leonora,  "and  I  am  very  happy 
that  Heaven  has  again  brought  them  together." 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  377 

Donna  Helena,  desirous  of  making  Toston  talk, 
said:  "You  are,  then,  with  the  Count  de  Gelves?" — 
"Yes,  madam,"  replied  Toston;  "I  have  the  honour 
to  be  principal  valet-de-cJiambre  to  Don  Alexis,  his 
only  son." — "And  you  are  apparently  satisfied  with 
your  situation  ?  '  said  she.  "  Very  much  so,  madam," 
replied  he;  "my  master  is  a  perfect  cavalier:  I  know 
no  fault  he  has.  Although  he  is  young,  he  possesses 
consummate  prudence;  he  is  wise  without  assuming 
the  air  of  a  Cato,  and  sprightly  without  being  a  cox- 
comb :  he  is  a  model  of  a  young  nobleman. 

"  Besides  a  thousand  good  qualities,"  he  continued, 
"with  which  Don  Alexis  is  endowed,  he  will  one  day 
be  possessed  of  considerable  wealth ;  the  Count,  his 
father,  having  amassed  great  riches  in  the  government 
of  New  Spain.  Happy  the  high-born  maiden  for 
whom  his  hand  is  destined." 

Thus  pronouncing  his  master's  eulogium,  Toston, 
the  adroit  Toston,  carefully  examined  Leonora,  and 
conceived  that  she  took  pleasure  in  listening  to  him, 
altiiough  she  affected  to  hear  him  with  an  air  of  in- 
difference. This  observation  encouraging  him  to  go 
on  in  praise  of  Don  Alexis,  he  drew  so  flattering  a 
picture  of  him,  that  Donna  Helena  could  not  help 
sax'ing  :  "  But,  my  friend,  you  go  beyond  bounds,  you 
exaggerate.  It  is  not  possible  that  the  young  Count 
de  Gelves  should  have  all  the  merit  you  ascribe  to 
him." — "  Pardon  me,  madam,"  replied  he  with  great 
effrontery,  "  he  is  a  most  accomplished  person,  an 
'^^pitome  of  all  that  is  amiable." 

At  this  part  of  the  conversation  they  were  inter- 
rupted by  a  page,  who  came  to  deliver  a  billet  to 
Donna  Helena.  She  read  it,  and,  as  it  demanded  an 
immediate  answer,  she  went  into  th'-.  house  in  order 
to   prepare   it.      Leonora  followed   her,  leaving   her 


378  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

attendant  with  her  husband  in  the  garden.  This 
couple  finding  themselves  alone,  gave  way  to  the 
laughter  which  they  could  no  longer  repress.  "  It 
must  be  confessed,"  said  Blandina,  "  that  you  are 
admirably  expert  in  drawing  handsome  portraits  ;  but, 
between  ourselves,  they  are  not  exactly  likenesses." — 
"  I  confess/'  replied  he,  "  that  I  have  flattered  Don 
Alexis  a  little,  but  I  do  not  think  that  that  has 
done  much  harm.  I  am  sure  that  your  mistress  is 
enamoured  of  my  master  already  ;  for,  though  she  did 
not  tell  me  so,  I  dare  be  sworn  you  have  told  her  that 
Don  Alexis  is  the  cavalier  with  whom  she  conversed 
one  morning  on  the  Prado." — "It  is  true  I  did  so," 
said  Blandina,  "  and  Twill  again  privately  speak  to 
her  about  him.  I  will  ascertain  her  mind,  and  inform 
yo:\  of  it  to-morrow."  —  "Very  well,"  said  Toston  ; 
"and  if  by  chance  you  find  the  lady  disposed  to 
receive  a  letter  from  Don  Alexis,  here  is  one  contain- 
ing a  most  elegantly  conceived  declaration  of  his  love, 
and  in  which  I  have  myself  had  a  hand."  Blandina 
took  charge  of  the  letter,  telling  her  husband  that  he 
might  assure  his  master  of  all  the  good  offices  she 
could  render  him  with  Leonora.  Hereupon  they 
separated,  with  a  promise  of  meeting  again  on  the 
same  spot  the  following  morning. 

They  did  not  fail  in  their  appointment.  "Victory!" 
cried  the  Creole,  "victory!  I  have  spoken  with  my 
mistress  about  Don  Alexis,  and  given  her  much  about 
the  same  description  of  him  as  you  did  yesterday. 
She  at  first  dissembled;  but  I  attacked  her  in  so 
many  ways,  that  she  could  not  help  discovering  her 
sentiments.  '  Yes,  my  dear  Blandina,'  said  she, '  I  love 
Don  Alexis  ;  T  have  thought  of  nothing  but  him  since 
the  da\-  I  saw  him  at  the  garden  gate;  and  all  the 
good  I  hear  of  him  serves  to  complete  his  conquest.' 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  379 

"  Let  us  come  to  my  master's  letter,"  intetr.iptvd 
Toston  ;  "did  Leonora  read  it?" — "With  avidity/' 
replied  the  attendant, "  and  we  both  admired  it.  You 
had  reason  to  say  that  you  had  put  your  hand  to  it : 
I  very  plainly  perceived  it.  This  letter  has  made 
an  impression  on  my  mistress." — "  Bravo  !  "  cried 
the  enraptured  valet-de-chambre,  "nothing  could  go 
better.  Let  us  go  forward  with  this  business  ;  let 
us  contrive  a  nocturnal  meeting  between  these  two 
lovers.  They  want  nothing  more  to  make  them 
irretrievably  in  love  with  each  other.  Get  Donna 
Leonora  to  walk  to-night  in  the  garden,  and  I  will 
bring  Don  Alexis  thither :  they  will  have  a  long 
interview,  after  which  they  will  breathe  of  nothing 
but  marriage." 


CHAPTER  XL 

INTERVIEW  BETWEEN  THE  YOUNG  COUNT  DE  GELVES   AND 

DONNA      LEONORA ITS    CONSEQUENCES THE     COUNT 

DE  GELVES   PROPOSES   AN  ADVANTAGEOUS    MATCH    TO 
HIS    S(UY — SECOND    INTERVIEW    BETWEEN     THE     TWO 

LOVERS WHAT    PASSES     AT   IT BLANDINa's     GOOD 

ADVICE DON   ALEXIS   FOLLOWS    IT WHO    WAS     THE 

PERSON  WHOM  IT  WAS  WISHED  HE  SHOULD  MARRY. 

Blandina  approved  of  the  design,  which  was  ac- 
cordingly executed.  The  young  Count  de  Gelves, 
accompanied  by  his  confidant,  arrived  between  eleven 
and  twelve  o'clock  at  the  garden  gate,  and  was  pre- 
sently admitted  by  Leonora  and  her  servant,  who 
were  awaiting  their  arrival  impatiently.  Don  Alexis 
respectfully  accosted  the  lady.  She  received  him  in 
the  same  way  ;  and,  after  some  compliments  of  pure 
politeness  on  both  sides,  tliey  began  to  assume  the 
tone  of  love.     Toston  and  his  Creole  seeing  them 


380  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

about  to  enter  upon  a  tender  conversation,  retired  to 
talk  in  private  of  their  own  affairs. 

Love,  which  renders  hours  so  long  to  lovers  when 
separated  from  the  objects  of  their  affection,  by  way 
of  equivalent,  causes  them  to  pass  with  rapidity 
enough  when  they  are  together.  It  was  already  day 
ere  Don  Alexis  and  his  mistress  thought  of  separating. 
It  was  necessary  for  the  confidants  to  remind  them 
of  it ;  a  charge  which  was  willingly  undertaken  by 
Toston,  to  whom  the  night  had  not  appeared  so  short 
as  to  his  master.  The  two  lovers  parted  at  last,  with 
a  promise  of  meeting  again  on  the  following  night. 

This  interview,  just  as  the  husband  of  the  Creole 
had  predicted,  increased  their  passion.  As  soon  as 
Don  Alexis  was  out  of  the  garden,  he  began  to  extol 
the  charms  of  Leonora,  particularly  her  wit;  and  did 
nothing'  but  repeat  the  same  thing  all  the  morning. 
His  mind  was  occupied  the  whole  day  with  the 
pleasure  he  was  to  derive  from  his  assignation  in  the 
evening,  but,  before  he  could  enjoy  the  promised 
happ\-  interview,  he  was  constrained  to  go  through 
one  of  a  less  agreeable  nature.  The  Count,  his  father, 
taking  him  after  supper  into  his  closet,  addressed  him 
thus :  "  My  son,  I  have  an  affair  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance to  communicate  to  you.  The  prime  minister, 
in  proof  of  the  sincere  friendship  he  entertains  for  me, 
has  told  me  that  he  wishes  to  have  you  married,  and 
give  you  a  wife  from  his  own  hand." 

Don  Alexis,  at  these  words,  was  much  embarrassed, 
and  remained  unable  to  speak.  "  How  then!"  said 
his  father;  "does  matrimony  frighten  you.''  Ah! 
when  you  shall  know  the  person  whom  the  minister 
})roposes  for  you,  you  will  feel  no  repugnance  to  ful- 
fiiiing  his  wishes."  The  young  Count,  a  little  recovered 
fiom  his  embarrassment,  replied:  "My  lord,  I  ihall 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  381 

implicitly  obey  \ou  in  all  things;  but  deign  to  allow 
me  to  represent  to  you  that  I  feel  an  aversion  to 
marriage" — 

"You  are  deceiving  me,"  interrupted  his  Excellency, 
"  \'ou  dissemble.  I  see  well  whence  proceeds  this 
dislike  to  the  match  proposed  ;  your  heart  is  other- 
wise engaged.  Formally  entrapped  by  some  she- 
adventurer,  you  would  make  a  point  of  honour  of 
remaining  faithful  to  her." 

"  No,  my  lord,"  replied  Don  Alexis,  "  I  burn  not 
with  an  unworthy  flame.  I  love,  it  is  true,  and  I 
seek  not  to  subdue  my  love;  but  the  object  of  my 
affections  is  not  of  a  rank  to  make  me  blush  for  the 
sentiments  she  has  inspired.  If  )'Ou  will,  I  will  inform 
you  of  her  family  " "  I  dispense  with  the  infor- 
mation," again  interrupted  the  father;  "I  have  no 
curiosity  to  know  the  lady.  I  order  you  to  renounce 
her.  I  will  have  no  other  daughter-in-law  than  her 
the  min'ster  has  offered  me;  and  know  that  she  is  a 
person  who  joins  to  extreme  youth  and  beauty  a 
noble  origin  and  large  estate.  Go,"  added  he,  "go 
and  consult  Don  Cherubin  de  la  Ronda,  \our  governor, 
on  the  subject :  I  am  persuaded  that  his  advice  will  be 
conformable  to  my  intentions." 

The  young  lord  immediately  left  the  closet  without 
making  any  answer,  but  instead  of  coming  to  me,  he 
thought  it  more  to  his  purpose  to  go  and  consult  with 
Toston.  He  informed  him  of  the  violence  which  his 
father  wished  to  do  to  his  feelings;  and,  after  having 
complained  of  this  tyrann)-,  "  My  friend,"  said  he, 
"what  must  I  do  to  preserve  my  faith  to  Leonora? 
how  am  I  to  rid  mj'sclf  of  this  embarrassment.''"— 
"Sir,"  replied  Toston,  'the  thing  is  not  easy.  My 
lord,  your  lather,  as  you  know,  is  confoundedly  ob- 
stinate: he  has  resolved  that  you  shall  espouse  the 


382  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

person  proposed  by  the  minister,  and  he  will  not 
be  turned  from  his  purpose.  But  it  is  not  yet  time 
to  despair.  Let  us  first  exert  our  ingenuity.  Dis- 
semble ;  afiect  to  consent  to  this  marriage,  while  I 
inventsome  expedient  to  break  it  off." — "  Ah,  Toston," 
cried  Don  Alexis  at  these  word.s,  which  appeared  in 
sonic  sort  to  flatter  his  love  with  a  dawn  of  hope,  "if  \-ou 
can  accomplish  that  object,  there  is  nothing  which  you 
may  not  expect  from  my  gratitude.  Haste,"  added  he, 
"let  us  fly  to  the  rendezvous;  I  will  inform  Leonora 
of  the  misfortune  which  threatens  us,  will  assure  her  of 
using  every  exertion  to  avert  it,  and  renew  the  oath  I 
have  made  never  to  be  united  to  any  one  but  her." 

They  both  returned  to  the  garden,  where  Leonora 
and  her  attendant  amused  themselves,  while  awaiting 
their  arrived,  with  conversing  on  the  good  qualities  of 
Don  Alexis.  Blandina,  who  knew  him  best,  was 
praising  him  to  the  skies.  The  lovers  gained  the 
verdant  enclosure  in  which  they  had  passed  the 
former  night,  and  the  married  pair  retired  to  another 
spot,  where  Toston  thus  addressed  Blandina:  "My 
child,  life  is  a  continued  succession  of  good  and  evil, 
of  joy  and  of  grief.  Yesterday,  for  instance,  we  came 
here  gay  as  larks,  and  now  we  arrive  as  melanchob- 
as  owls." — "  Hey!  what  cause  for  grief  can  there  be  ?  " 
said  his  wife;  "have  you  heard  any  bad  news?" — 
"The  most  distressing  possible,"  replied  he;  "they 
want  to  separate  Don' Alexis  and  Donna  Leonora." 
At  the  same  time  he  gave  her  an  account  of  what  had 
passed  between  the  Count  de  Gelves  and  his  son. 

Blandina  was  penetrated  with  grief  at  this  recital. 
"  You  have  cause,"  said  she  to  her  husband,  "  }-ou 
have  cause  to  distress  yourself;  nothing  can  be  more 
mortifying  than  what  you  tell  me.  Unhapp\-  Leo- 
nora,"   continued    she,    apostrophising   her    nii-tress. 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  383 

'what  a  clap  of  thunder  will  this  be  to  you  !  But  is 
it  then  impossible  to  avert  this  evil  ?  Will  Toston, 
who  possesses  wit  and  ingenuity,  make  no  exertions 
to  preserve  the  lovers  from  the  frightful  destiny  which 
is  preparing  for  them  ?  " — "  Pardon  me,"  said  he,  "  I 
am  beating  my  brains  for  some  expedient  to  prevent 
it,  but  I  will  confess  to  you  that  I  can  think  of  nothing 
with  which  I  am  satisfied." — "  An  idea  this  moment 
presents  itself  to  me,"  >-aid  the  Creole,  "and  I  think 
it  ought  not  to  be  rejected  :  you  are  not  ignorant  that 
the  Countess  loves  her  son  most  affectionately  ;  do 
you  think  that  nothing  may  be  done  in  that  quarter?" 
— "  Quite  the  contrary,"  replied  Toston ;  "  I  embrace 
the  idea.  I  will  go  to-morrow  to  the  Countess's  levee, 
and  request  a  private  interview  with  her :  I  will  give 
her  a  pathetic  description  of  the  situation  in  which 
Don  Alexis  is  placed,  and  may  perhaps  be  able  to 
soften  her,  so  that  she  may  interest  herself  in  favour 
of  him  and  Leonora." 

While  this  conversation  passed  between  the  confi- 
dants, the  two  lovers  were  promising,  swearing  to 
each  other  an  affection  which  should  be  proof  against 
every  obstacle  that  fortune  could  place  in  their  way. 
In  these  sentiments  they  parted.  The  young  noble- 
man proceeded  with  Toston,  who  on  the  way  informed 
him  of  his  design  to  try  if,  by  his  eloquence,  he  could 
prevail  on  the  Countess,  his  mother,  to  protect  his 
love.  "  I  approve  of  your  project,"  said  Don  Alexis, 
"  and  to  render  it  the  more  efficacious,  I  will  myself 
accompany  you,  I  will  throw  myself  at  the  feet  of 
my  mother,  and  embrace  her  knees,  while  you  shall 
plead  for  me  :  I  am  sure  that  we  shall  gain  our  point." 

In  this  opinion,  they  determined  on  having  recourse 
to  the  measure  proposed  ;  and  this  is  the  detail  of 
their  succes-.     They  found  the  Countess  de  Gelves 


584  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

at  her  toilet.  As  soon  as  she  saw  her  son  and  his 
confidant,  she  sent  all  her  women  out  of  the  room, 
and  first  addressing  herself  to  Toston,  "  My  friend," 
said  she,  "  in  what  disposition  has  my  son  come 
hither?  has  he  still  any  repugnance  to  linking  his 
destiny  with  that  of  an  amiable  person  offered  him 
by  the  prime  minister  of  the  kingdom  ?  " — "  Madam," 
said  Toston,  "my  master  has  vowed  implicit  obedience 
to  your  will ;  he  is  ready  to  do  whatever  you  order 
him  :  but  if  you  oblige  him  to  marry  the  lady  you 
propose,  you  may  crdculate  on  losing  your  only  son." 
— "  Yes,  mother,"  said  Don  Alexis,  throwing  himself 
at  her  feet  and  kissing  one  of  her  hands,  "Toston 
has  told  \'ou  the  truth  :  if  }-ou  force  this  wife  on  me 
against  my  inclination,  you  will  kill  me." — "  This  is  a 
strange  thing,"  cried  the  Countess.  "  Is  it  possible 
to  become  prejudiced  in  so  high  a  degree,  against  a 
person  one  has  never  seen  ?  Wait  till  you  have  been 
introduced  to  the  lady  in  question,  and  then,  if  you 
find  her  disagreeable,  I  have  enough  of  a  mother's 
fondness  to  oppose  a  union  which  must  destroy  your 
happiness,  although  in  marriages  among  persons  of 
our  rank,  the  want  of  beauty  is  not  thought  a  matter 
of  much  importance.  But,"  added  she,  "  if  I  may 
believe  the  description  I  have  heard  of  this  lady,  she 
is  extremely  handsome." — "  Though  she  were  more 
lovely  than  Venus,"  said  Toston,  "let  us  if  you  please, 
madam,  say  no  more  about  her.  Love  has  been 
beforehand  with  the  minister,  by  presenting  to  us  a 
kind  of  divinity  with  whom  we  are  enchanted." 

"She  must,  indeed,"  said  the  Countess,  "  be  pos- 
sessed of  a  most  uncommon  beaut}'  to  have  made  so 
strong  an  impression.  Does  her  birth  correspond  with 
her  charms  }  I  fear  that  on  that  side  she  has  reason 
to   complain. "—"  Qhj  no,  madam,"  returned  Toston, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  385 

"she  is  a  young  lady  of  quality.  Leonora  de  Pedrera 
owes  her  birth  to  a  gentleman  of  Antequerra,  and  is, 
besides,  niece  to  Donna  Helena  de  Toralva." 

The  Countess  no  sooner  heard  these  last  words, 
than  she  burst  int  so  violent  a  fit  of  laughter  as  com- 
pletely disconcerted  Toston  and  her  son.  "  Madam," 
said  the  astonished  young  lord,  "pray  be  kind  enough 
to  acquaint  me  with  the  cause  of  this  extraordinary 
merriment;  do  you  suspect  us  of  wishing  to  impose 
on  you  with  regard  to  Leonora's  quality.?" — "Let  me 
laugh  without  interruption,"  cried  she,  and  redoubled 
her  mirth,  while  the  master  and  the  valet,  not  know- 
ing what  construction  to  put  on  such  behaviour,  stared 
at  her  in  stupid  silence. 

At  length  it  pleased  Heaven  that  her  laughter 
should  have  an  end  ;  and  when  she  had  resumed  her 
gravity,  "  Don  Alexis,"  said  she,  "  do  not  alarm  your- 
self any  more :  you  will  not  be  obliged  to  renounce 
your  beloved  Leonora,  for  it  is  she  herself  whom  the 
prime  minister  has  destined  for  your  wife.  Donna 
Helena  de  Toralva  is  related  to  the  Duchess  de  Oli- 
varez,  and  it  is  these  two  ladies  who  have  caused  this 
match  to  he  proposed  to  the  Count  de  Gelves  by  the 
Count  Duke.  Had  I  n  t  cause  to  laugh.''"  pursued 
she.  "  Do  you  not  think  this  a  very  droll  adventure  .?" 
She  then  again  burst  into  laughter,  while  her  son  and 
Toston  now  followed  her  example.  The  young  lord 
and  his  confidant  then  returned  transported  with  joy, 
and  proceeded  immediately  to  Dortna  Helena's,  where 
they  found  everybody  in  a  good  humour,  the  report 
of  the  approaching  marriage  of  Donna  Leonora  and 
Don  Alexis  having  already  transpired  there.  To  sum 
up  all  in  a  few  words,  the  nuptials  were  solemnised  a 
few  days  after,  with  abundance  of  demonstratir^ns  oi 
joy,  both  at  the  Hotels  de  Gelves  and  de  Toralva. 

2  U 


386  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

OF   WHA7     TOOK   PLACE    AFTER     THE    MARRIAGE    OF   DON 

ALEXIS  DE  G ELVES TOSTON's  JOURNEY  TO  ALCARAZ, 

AND    HIS   RETURN    TO    MADRID DON   CHERUBIN  HAS 

THE   SATISFACTION  OF   HEARING   GOOD  NEWS  OF  DON 
MA  NO  EL  AND  HIS  FAMILY. 

Donna  Helena,  at  whose  house  the  wedding  took 
place,  loved  her  niece  as  much  as  if  she  were  an  only 
daughter  ;  and,  wishing  not  to  part  with  her,  this  kind 
aunt  gave  up  the  half  of  her  mansion  for  her  accommo- 
dation. The  first  care  of  Don  Alexis  was  to  reward 
Toston  for  having  contributed  to  his  happiness. 
Not  satisfied  with  making  him  a  present  of  three 
hundred  pistoles,  he  appointed  him  his  steward,  a 
post  less  considerable  from  what  it  was  worth  at  that 
time,  than  from  what  it  was  likely  to  be  at  a  future 
day.  Leonora  was  not  less  generous  to  Blandina, 
who,  more  sensible  to  her  mistress's  friendship  than 
to  her  own  interest,  was  attached  to  her  from  heart 
and  inclination,  an  extraordinary  thing  in  a  waiting- 
woman. 

One  morning  Toston,  coming  to  me,  said  :  "  Signior 
Don  Cherubin,  I  am  going  to  take  leave  of  you,  and 
receive  your  commands.  I  shall  set  out  in  two  days 
for  Alcaraz,  to  grastify  my  desire  of  again  beholding 
the  authors  of  my  existence.  Don  Alexis,  my 
master,  has  allowed  me  to  take  this  journey,  on  con- 
dition that  I  return  in  two  months." — "  Aly  child," 
said  I,  "  the  desire  by  which  you  are  actuated  is 
laudable,  and  it  is  right  that  you  should  be  gratified; 
but  when  you  shall  have  passed  a  few  days  with 
persons  so  dear  to  you,  return  quickly  to  Madrid. 
You  know  the  inconstancy  of  men  of  high  rank ;  you 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  387 

ma}'  lose  your  place,  which  is  one  that  cannot  fail  to 
con  :uct  you  to  a  considerable  fortune." — "Oh,  never 
fear,"  said  he,  "  that  '  hall  be  much  diverted  by  the 
company  of  my  old  Uicnds.  I  have  already  imbibed 
the  spirit  of  the  Court ;  I  could  not  live  in  the 
coui;try." — "And  by  what  conveyance,"  said  I,  "  do 
you  c;esign  going  ? "— "  On  one  of  the  best  horses  in 
our  biables,"  replied  he;  "and  followed  by  a  lackey 
from  the  house,  who  will  be  dressed  in  the  livery  of 
Gelves,  and  as  well  mounted  as  myself.  The  steward 
of  a  great  house  must  not  travel  like  a  beggar."  In 
effect,  two  days  after,  Toston  set  out  upon  an  elegant 
horse,  followed  by  a  lackey  in  brilliant  livery,  anc' 
charged  with  despatches  from  me  to  my  brothers 
in-law. 

During  his  absence,  some  changes  took  place 
favourable  for  the  house  of  Gelves.  Don  Alexis, 
having  paid  assiduous  court  to  the  Count  Duke  de 
Olivarez,  was  fortunate  enough  to  please  him  so 
much,  that  that  minister  got  him  appointed  Gentle- 
man of  the  King's  Bedchamber  ;  which  was  the  most 
sine  re  testimony  of  regard  which  he  could  possibly 
give  him,  it  being  the  disposition  of  his  Excellency 
to  place  no  one  near  the  person  of  the  monarch  but 
such,  as  he  could  repose  confidence  in  himself.  This 
was  not  all :  Donna  Leonora  became  at  the  same 
time  maid  of  honour  to  the  Queen,  through  the 
interest  of  the  Lady  Olivarez,  who  was  camarera 
mayor;*  so  that  Toston,  at  his  return,  found  his 
master  and  mistress  holding  a  rank  at  Court  higher 
than  when  he  left  them. 

The  impatience  of  this  new  stev/ard  to  give  me  an 
account  of  his  journey  would  not  permit  him  to  visit 
his  wife,  nor  even  to  wait  on  Don  Alexis  before  he 
*  Principal  Lady  of  the  Bedchamber, 


388  THE  B.iCHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

had  come  to  me,  with  a  haste  expressive  of  his  regard. 
It  was  not  without  emotion  that  I  saw  him  enter  my 
room  ;  and,  not  knowing  what  he  might  have  to  tell 
me,  T  asked  him  trembhngly  if  his  news  were  calcu- 
lated to  please  or  distress  me.  "  I  bring  you,"  replied 
he,  "  no  news  but  what  are  good  :  Don  Manoel  and 
Don  Gregorio  are  in  the  most  perfect  health,  as  are 
also  their  wives.  These  ladies,  who  are  still  very 
lovely,  have  enlarged  the  family  :  your  sister,  besides 
Francillo  and  the  two  daughters  she  had,  she  has 
now  another  son,  who  is  at  nurse  ;  and  her  friend, 
Desides  the  boy  she  had  immediately  after  her 
marriage,  has  brought  Don  Manoel  two  sons  in  less 
than  twenty  months.  All  these  children,"  added  he, 
"both  male  and  female,  are  in  wonderful  good  health, 
and  are  extremely  genteel.  Your  daughter,  among 
the  rest,  is  as  beautiful  as  the  day." 

"  All  this  gives  me  pleasure,  my  friend,"  replied  I ; 
"but  tell  me,  I  entreat  )-ou,  how  my  sister  and  my 
brothers-in-law  listened  to  the  recital  which  you,  of 
course,  gave  them  of  my  adventures.  Did  they 
appear  to  be  much  interested  in  my  fortune  .-*" — 
"  Assuredly,"  replied  Toston ;  "  they  asked  me  a 
thousand  questions,  and  I  found  it  no  easy  matter  to 
answer  all  their  questions,  each  of  them  interrogating 
me  in  turn,  and  sometimes  all  together.  But  when  I 
related  to  them  the  meeting  with  Monchique,  and 
the  manner  in  which  he  told  us  he  had  seduced 
Donna  Paula,  my  auditors  began  to  shed  tears, 
particularly  the  ladies,  who,  seeing  your  wife  fully 
justified,  bitterly  deplored  her  misfortune.  They  then 
questioned  me  about  Donna  Blanca:  they  asked  me 
what  was  her  character ;  and  they  had  room  to 
judge  from   my  replies,  that  of  all  the  favours  Don 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  380 

Juan  de  Salzedo  has  conferred  on  you,  that  of  giving 
)-ou  Ills  daughter  was  not  the  least, 

"I  have  now  no  more  to  do,"  added  Toston,  "than 
to  dehv^er  to  you  the  despatches  of  whicli  I  am  t'ne 
bearer,  from  \-our  famil\';  and  then  allow  me  to  quit 
\-ou  in  order  to  wait  upon  my  master.  I  shall  see 
whetlier  my  absence  has  injured  me  in  his  esteem." 
— "No,  my  child,"  replied  I,  "you  will  find  Don 
Alexis  just  such  as  you  left  him.  I  took  care,  during 
your  absence,  to  preserve  you  in  his  good  graces.  I 
have  also  some  good  news  to  announce  to  j^ou  ;  the 
King  has  honoured  this  young  nobleman  with  the 
post  of  Gentleman  of  the  Bedchamber,  a  thing  which 
will  be  to  the  advantage  of  your  stewardship." 

I  also  informed  the  steward  that  Donna  Leonora 
was  in  attendance  on  the  Queen.  "Good!"  cried 
he,  full  of  joy;  "my  wife  is  then  at  Court:  that  will 
fix  me  in  Madrid." — ''I  hope  so,"  said  I,  "and  that 
yoQ  will  never  again  be  troubled  by  the  desire  of 
seeing  \-our  own  country." — "Oh,  sir,"  said  he,  "that 
is  all  over,  I  have  bid  it  an  eternal  adieu,  I  went 
there,  as  }ou  know,  only  to  see  my  father  and  motiier; 
I  found  them  both  dead  and  buried.  I  have  shed 
over  their  graves  the  tears  which  were  due  to  them, 
and  now  I  am  entirely  detached  from  the  place  of 
my  birth."  So  saying,  he  delivered  me  his  despatches 
and  left  me. 


390  THE  BACHELOR   OF  SALAMANCA,' 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

•yF  VHE  SECRET  AND   CURIOUS    CONVERSATION  WHICH    D0\ 
CliHRVDIN  HAD  ONE  DAY  WITH  THE  COUNT  DE  GELVES 

RELATION  OF   THE    MANNER    IN  WHICH    THE    DUKE 

DE    OSSUNA    ENTERED   MADRID^    WtiiCU   PROVED    THE 

CAUSE  OF  HIS  DJWNFALL. 

ALTilt^UGH  the  Count  de  Gelves  had,  as  has  been 
stated,  brought  immense  wealth  from  the  Indies,  he 
had  affected,  through  avarice  and  poHcy,  not  to 
imitate  other  viceroys  n  their  return  from  their 
gover'T  relents.  He  appeared  in  the  streets  with  but 
few  attendants,  and  paid  his  visits,  it  may  be  said, 
without  noise,  and  in  a  manner  too  modest  f  r  a 
govcniur'  of  Mexico.  With  recjard  to  the  presents  he 
had  made  both  to  the  King  and  the  infants  Don 
Fernando  nnd  Don  Carlos,  the\'  are  not  worth  speak- 
ing of,  as  tliey  consisted  only  in  some  ornaments  of 
feathers,  and  such  like  trifles.  For  this  reason,  the 
public,  who  sometimes  censure  without  cause,  c'id  not 
applaud  his  magnificent  humour. 

This  nobleman  was  not  I'^norant  of  what  was  said 
of  him  in  the  world,  and  said  to  me  one  day:  "I  had 
rather  pass  for  a  miser  than  expose  myself  to  ruin  by 
a  display  which  would  onl)^  serve  to  excite  env)'.  The 
example  of  the  Duke  de  Ossuna,  who  has  just  died 
in  ;-rison,  ought  to  aflfo/d  instruction  t  ^  viceroys.  This 
great  man  would  probably  still  have  been  alive,  if  he 
had  not  had  the  imprudence  to  make  his  entry  into 
Madrid  with  a  pomp  more  suitable  to  a  sovereign 
Ihan  to  a  governor  who  is  recalled  in  order  that  he 
may  give  an  account  of  his  administration;  if  he  had 
not  made  such  n,,h  presents  t  '  the  Court,  and  if,  in 
fine,  he  had  n  t  exposed  his  wealth  to  the  eyes  of  his 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  391 

enemies,  and  those  who  were  envious  of  him.  Perhaps 
you  never  heard  of  this  pompous  entry.  I  must  give 
you  a  detail  of  it,  less  to  excite  your  admiration  at  its 
magnificence,  than  to  show  you  the  ostentation  of  the 
Viceroy  of  Sicily  and  Naples. 

"  Four  trumpeters,  with  twelv»  Neapolitan  and 
twelve  Sicilian  guards,  began  the  march.  The  maitre 
d'hotel  on  horseback,  and  twenty-four  mules  with 
gold  embroidered  housings,,  conducted  by  twenty 
grooms,  preceding  three  litters  and  three  superb 
carriages  belonging  to  the  Duchess  de  Ossuna,  which 
the  maitres  d'hotel  of  herself  and  her  son  followed, 
with  twenty  horses  led  by  as  many  grooms.  After 
these  came  the  major-domo  of  the  Duke,  accompanied 
by  twelve  pages  on  horseback  dressed  in  the  Spanish, 
and  twelve  halberdiers  in  the  Sicilian  costume.  Then 
Don  Juan  Telles,  at  the  head  of  thirty  Spanish,  Nea- 
politan, and  Sicilian  gentlemen,  all  richly  dressed  in 
the  Hungarian  fashion,  and  mounted  upon  valuable 
horses.  Afterwards  the  Duke,  in  the  same  costume, 
appeared  in  a  most  magnificent  carriage  with  Donna 
Isabella  de  Sandoval,  his  daughter-in-law,  having  four 
tail  footmen  at  each  door,  and  twenty  halberdiers, 
followed  by  thirty  carriages  full  of  relations  and 
friends,  without  counting  six  other  in  reserve.  Finally, 
this  indiscreet  and  silly  procession  was  concluded  by 
a  crowd  of  officers,  pages,  and  Turkish  slaves. 

"  It  was  thus,"  continued  the  Count  de  Gelves, 
"that  the  Duke  de  Ossuna  entered  Madrid,  amid  the 
acclamations  of  an  immense  concourse  of  spectators 
attracted  from  all  parts  by  the  sight.  You  may  well 
conceive  that  such  an  entry  did  not  diminish  the 
number  of  his  secret  enemies;  and,  to  add  to  his 
indiscretion,  he  exposed  during  three  days  at  his 
house,  to  the  curiosity  of  the  public,  the  riches  he 


392  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

had  brought  from  Italy,  taking  a  foolish  pleasure  in 
showing  them  to  the  Spaniards  as  spoils  taken  from 
the  Turks,  and  glorious  monuments  of  the  victories 
he  had  obtained  over  those  infidels.  I  havxj  not, 
therefore,  done  ill,"  added  the  Grand  Equerry,  "in 
pursuing  a  conduct  the  reverse  of  his,  especially  as 
I  have  come  from  a  government  in  which  all  the 
world  suspects  me  of  having  acquired  immense  wealth. 
By  m\'  modest  entry,  I  have  disappointed  th^  envy 
which  I  should  not  have  failed  to  excite  by  s:a  air  oi 
greater  opulence." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

OF  DON   MA.XOEL^S   ARRIVAL    AT  MADRID THE   EXTREME 

yOV  WHICH  THA  T  CA  VALIER  AND  DON  CHE  RUBIN  FELT 
AT  AGAIN  MEETING  AFTER  SO  LONG  A  SEPARATION^ 
AND  OF  THE  ANRA.NGEMENTS  WHICH  THEY  MADE  NOT 
TO  PART  AGAIN. 

TOSTON  had  not  been  a  week  returned  to  Ma<lrid, 
when  one  morning,  while  I  was  writing  in  my  closet, 
I  was  informed  that  Don  Manoel  de  Pedrilla  had 
arrived.  I  immediately  started  up  to  receive  a  man 
who  was  so  dear  to  me.  We  held  each  other  long  in 
a  mutual  embrace,  and  both  testified  by  tears  rather 
than  by  words  the  joy  we  felt  at  meeting.  The 
remembrance  of  Donna  Paula  affected  us  at  first,  and 
we  could  not  refuse  our  tears  to  the  memory  ot"  that 
innocent  adulteress,  in  spite  of  the  grief  which  she 
had  caused  us  both  ;  but  we  speedily  passed  from 
grief  to  joy,  and  began  to  converse  about  our  family, 
"We  have  some  lovely  children,"  said  Don  Manoel. 
"If  Toston  has  given  you  a  faithful  description,  he 
must  have  told  you  that  Donna  Teresa,  your  daughter, 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  393 

is  excessively  pleasing,  and  that  my  son,  Don  Tgnacio, 
is  a  pretty  boy.  As  for  your  nephew,  Francillo,  who 
is  now  called  Don  Franciscc  de  Clevillente,  he  is  no 
longer  a  child  ;  he  is  a  well-grown  cavalier,  and  fit 
to  serve  the  King. 

"  Having  spoken  of  the  children,"  continued  Don 
Manoel,  "  let  us  now  speak  of  their  mothers.  Ismenia 
and  Donna  Francisca  are  still  pretty  women.  I  am 
more  fond  than  ever  of  one,  and  Don  Gregorio  has  for 
the  other  an  attachment,  the  warmth  of  which  seems 
daily  to  augment." — "You  uelight  me,  my  friend," 
interrupted  I,  "by  informing  me  that  you  all  four 
live  in  such  a  perfect  union.  Why  can  I  not  go  and 
partake  the  sweets  of  your  society  ?  " — "  Why,  what 
hinders  you .'' "  said  Don  Manoel ;  "  are  you  not 
master  of  your  actions.'" — "No,"  replied  I,  "the 
Count  de  Gelves  will  not  aliow  my  father-in-iaw  to 
leave  him  ;  and  he,  a  slave  to  that  nobleman's  desires, 
has  the  complaisance  to  sacrifice  to  him  the  inclina- 
tion he  has  to  repose  himself  after  his  long  labours. 
On  my  part,  gratitude  and  friendship  bind  me  so 
strongly  to  Don  Juan,  that  I  make  it  a  point  of  duty 
not  to  abandon  him." — "In  these  sentiments,"  said 
Don  Manoel,  "  I  recognise  my  friend.  So  then,  it 
seems,  our  ladies  and  myself  must  be  disappointed 
in  the  hope  we  had  formed  of  having  your  company 
and  your  wife's." — "  I  should  ask  nothing  better," 
replied  I,  "than  to  pass  with  them  and  you  the  rest 
of  my  days  ;  but  you  see  what  obstacles  are  opposed 
to  such  a  desire." — "Well,"  said  Don  Manoel,  after 
having  reflected  some  minutes,  "  since  we  cannot 
engage  you  to  leave  Madrid,  I  must  prevail  on  our 
ladies  to  come  and  settle  here :  this  is  what  1  shall 
propose  to  them,  and  I  think  they  will  readily  comply 
with  my  suggestion." 


394  'J^HE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

*'  I  applaud  the  idea,"  said  I,  "  and  hope  that  they 
may  be  pleased  with  the  project.  If  you  be  eloquent 
enough  to  persuade  them  to  that,  I  will  undertake  to 
hire  a  house  sufficiently  large  to  contain  our  whole 
family:  I  am  in  a  situation  to  do  so,  and  evsn  to 
defray  all  the  expenses  of  living  in  it.  Return,  then, 
as  speedily  as  possible  to  Alcaraz;  persuade,  if  you 
can,  the  ladies  to  come  and  live  in  Madrid,  and  bring 
them  hither  with  you.  We  shall  lead  a  delicious  hfe 
together.  In  our  house  will  be  seen  only  joy,  and 
there  the  best  of  company  will  be  met  with." 

Don  Manoel,  impatient  for  the  arrival  of  so  happy 
a  period,  hastened  home  ;  but,  before  his  departure,  I 
introduced  him  to  Salzedo,  who  received  him  in  a 
manner  that  enchanted  him.  Nor  was  he  less  satis- 
fied with  the  civilities  he  received  from  my  wife,  who, 
looking  upon  him  as  my  best  friend,  thought  she 
could  never  treat  him  with  sufficient  attention. 
When  we  parted,  he  said  to  me :  "  Don  Cherubin,  I 
admire  your  happiness.  You  have  entered  into  a 
most  amiable  family.  You  have  a  wife  worthy  of 
your  tenderness,  and  a  father-in-law  who  merits  all 
your  devotion  to  him.  I  shall  describe  these  two  in 
such  terms  to  Clevillente  and  our  ladies,  as  will  con- 
tribute no  little  towards  the  success  of  my  design." 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  395 


CHAPTER    XV. 

ly  CONSEQUENCE  OF    WHAT  EVENT   THE   PROJECT  OF  DON 
MANOEL  AND  DON  CHERUBIN  WAS  NOT  CARRIED  INTO 

EXECUTION DON   JUAN  DE    SALZEDO    IS   MADE    COR- 

REGIDOR  OF  ALCARAZ. 

I  HOPED,  or  rather  I  entertained  no  doubt,  that 
PedrilJa  would  be  able  to  prevail  on  the  ladies,  and 
Avas  already  employed  in  looking  out  for  a  house  ; 
but  it  was  an  unnecessary  trouble,  as  I  shall  presently 
explain.  One  day  after  the  Count  de  Gelves  had 
been  with  the  prime  minister,  he  closeted  himself  with 
Salzedo,  and  addressed  him  thus:  "D'^n  Juan,  you 
will  be  surprised  at  what  I  am  about  to  say  to  y  u. 
I  have  just  been  with  the  Count  Duke,  with  whom 
I  had  a  conversation  which  turned  upon  }'ourself. 
'Count,'  said  he,  'you  have  about  }'ou  a  man  who  is 
not  agreeable  to  me  ;  it  is  D  n  Juan  de  Salzed©.  He 
was  secretary  to  the  Duke  de  Lerma,  and  afterwards 
to  the  Duke  de  Uzeda;  in  a  word,  he  is  a  creature 
(  f  the  house  of  Sandoval.  I  think  this  is  saying 
enough  to  induce  you  to  get  rid  of  him.  However, 
as  I  know  that  y^w  esteem  him,  and  that  he  deserves 
to  be  recompensed  for  the  services  which  he  has  done 
the  state,  the  King  appoints  him  Corregidor  of  the 
city  of  Alcaraz,  in  New  Castile.' 

"You  know  this  minister,"  continued  the  Grand 
Equerry.  "You  know  that  he  is  full  of  whims,  and 
that  he  is  absolute  in  anything  which  he  commands. 
If,  consulting  only  my  own  friendship  for  you,  I 
were  to  refuse  compliance  on  this  or^casion,  I  must 
make  up  my  mind  to  break  with  him  for  ever;  a 
thing  which  might  be  disastrous  to  me  in  its  con- 
sequences, as  it  is  dangerous  to  have  for  an  enemy 


396  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

a  minister  who  governs  both  the  monarchy  and  the 
monarch. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  lose  you,"  continued  he,  "  but  we 
must  separate.  You  see  plainly  it  is  a  matter  of 
necessity." — "  My  lord,"  replied  Salzedo,  "to  that  I 
have  nothing  to  reph'.  It  would  not  be  right  that 
you  should  quarrel  for  such  a  trifle  with  a  man  who 
has  everything  in  his  power.  With  regard  to  the 
place  with  which  it  is  intended  to  honour  me,  I  could 
well  do  without  it,  being,  thanks  to  your  bounty. 
in  a  situation  which  leaves  me  nothing  to  wish  for. 
Nevertheless,  I  have  reasons  for  not  refusing  it. 
Alcaraz  is  a  city  well  known  to  my  son-in-law,  and 
there  reside  his  famih'  and  friends,  who  will  do  every- 
thing to  make  me  happy.  Since  I  must  depart  from 
your  Excellency  and  from  Madrid,  it  is  a  consolation 
to  be  sent  to  the  very  place  in  Spain  which  I  would 
choose  in  preference  to  any  other." — "  I  am  glad  it  is 
so,"  said  the  Count ;  "  if  I  regret  parting  with  you,  at 
least  I  shall  have  the  satisfaction  of  believing  th  it 
you  are  comfortable." 

After  this  interview,  Don  Juan  came  to  me.  "  Here 
are  some  great  news,"  said  he,  recounting  to  me  at 
the  same  time  what  had  been  just  said  to  him  by  the 
Grand  Equerry.  He  then  asked  me  what  I  thought 
of  it .''  "  It  appears  to  me,"  replied  I,  "  that  the  Count 
is  terribly  afraid  of  losing  the  good  graces  of  the 
minister,  and  that  he  seems  well  disposed  to  sacrifice 
everything  to  his  fear.  As  to  the  rest,  we  ought  to 
rejoice  at  this  event.  We  have  been  a  long  while 
attached  by  complaisance  alone  to  this  nobleman; 
and  s'nce  he  himself  affords  us  the  opportunity  of 
quitt'ng  him  with  honour,  let  us  avail  ourselves  of  it 
without  ceremon}'.  Let  us  go  and  join  my  brothers- 
in-law.     They  will  be  delighted,  as  will  likewise  their 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  397 

wives,  at  seeing  their  society  increased  by  three  per- 
sons whose  company  will  be  so  far  from  tiresome.  I 
will,  if  you  think  fit,  send  this  day  an  express  to  Don 
Manoel,  to  apprise  him  that,  having  been  gratified  by 
the  King  with  the  post  of  Corregidor  of  Alcaraz,  )-ou 
;;re  going  to  set  out  in  order  to  take  possession  of  it. 
lie  will  be  charmed  with  this  intelligence;  for  I  am 
sure  he  would  rather  bid  us  welcome  in  Alcaraz,  than 
come  to  us  in  Madrid." 

]\ry  father-in-law  had  no  sooner  informed  me  that 
he  was  ready  to  follow  me,  than  I  despatched  a 
courier  to  Pedrilla,  to  inform  him  of  our  design  ;  and, 
in  the  letter  which  I  sent  him,  I  pointed  out  that  we 
should  pass  near  Cuenga. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

DON  JUAN  DE  SALZEDO  SETS  OUT  FROM  MADRID  WITH  HIS 
DAUGHTER  AND    DON  CHERUBIN — THEIR  ARRIVAL  AT 

ALCARAZ THE  RECEPTION  THEY  MET  WITH END  OP 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

Don  Juan  de  Salzedo,  after  having  returned  thanks 
to  the  prime  minister,  and  taken  before  the  King  the 
necessary  oaths,  set  about  the  preparations  for  his 
journey,  which  were  speedily  finished.  Our  departure 
from  Madrid  was  not  quite  so  splendid  as  the  entry 
o<"the  Duke  de  Ossuna  ;  but  it  had,  notwithstanding, 
an  air  of  opulence  that  did  us  honour.  Three  litters, 
one  of  which  was  filled  with  the  Corregidor, //^«a  ipso, 
the  other  with  my  wife  and  myself,  and  the  third  with 
two  waiting-women,  followed  twelve  mules  laden 
with  oi:r  effects,  and  ornamented  with  fine  sounding 
bells.     Add  to  this  five  or  six  servants  mounted  on 


398  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANC . 

very  handsome  horses,  of  which  the  Grand  Equerry 
had  made  us  a  present.  Indeed,  our  equipage  some- 
what resembled  that  of  a  Viceroy  who  is  going  to 
take  possession  of  his  government. 

We  proceeded  by  short  stages  to  Cuenga,  where 
we  found  Don  Manoel,  who  had  been  awaiting  our 
arrival  two  days.  After  a  thousand  embraces  on 
both  sides,  this  cavalier  informed  us  that  the  moment 
he  received  my  letter  he  had  set  out  to  Cuenga,  whence 
he  proposed  to  conduct  us  to  the  village  of  Bonillo,  to 
a  farm  which  belonged  to  him  there,  and  in  which  he 
had  left  his  wife,  with  my  sister  and  Don  Gregorio. 
The  more  speedily  to  reach  this  farm,  we  hastened 
to  resume  our  journey;  and  there,  in  effect,  we  met 
Clevillcnte  and  the  two  ladies,  who  were  no  less 
anxious  to  see  me  than  I  to  embrace  them.  Here 
were  embraces  and  compliments  in  abundance. 
"  Signior  Don  Juan,"  said  my  sister  to  Salzedo, 
"what  pleasure  it  is  to  me  to  see  a  gentleman  to 
whom  my  brother  has  so  man}' obligations!  But  of 
all  the  good  you  have  bestowed  on  him,  that  which  I 
most  value  is  having  united  his  destiny  to  that  of  this 
amiable  child."  At  these  words,  she  threw  her  arms 
round  the  neck  of  Blanca,  whom  she  had  alread}'  more 
than  once  embraced.  Ismenia  was  equally  lavish  of 
her  caresses  to  my  wife,  who,  not  to  be  behindhand 
A  ith  these  ladies,  returned  them  kiss  for  kiss. 

On  the  other  hand,  Don  Manoel,  Salzedo,  Gregorio, 
and  myself  were  acting  nearly  the  same  scene.  We 
had  all  four,  for  about  an  hour,  nothing  but  a  con- 
fused conversation  intermingled  with  embraces. 

After  this  we  resumed  our  gravity,  and  the  new 
Corregidor  had  every  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the 
oblio-inor  discourse  which  was  addressed  to  him  both 
by  ladies  and  gentlemen.     He  told  me  two  or  three 


THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA.  399 

times  in  private  that  he  was  charmed  with  my 
brothers-in-law,  and  still  more  with  their  wives,  who 
appeared  to  him,  he  said,  to  have  the  manners  of 
princesses.  I  was  inwardly  amused  with  this  idea, 
for  I  thought  at  the  moment  of  the  source  whence 
they  derived  these  airs  of  grandeur.  We  rested 
some  days  at  the  farm,  where,  by  Don  Manoel's  pre- 
caution, nothing  was  wanting  ;  and  at  length  repaired 
to  Alcaraz,  which  is  only  about  five  or  six  leagues 
distant. 

Our  equipage  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  citizens  of 
Alcaraz.  "  This  is  not,"  said  one,  "  our  poor  defunct 
Corregidor,  whose  whole  equipage  consisted  in  two 
old  mules." — "  No,  faith,"  said  another,  "  it  is  not  an 
ordinary  Corregidor,  but  a  Viceroy  who  is  sent  us." 
The  populace,  who  had  placed  themselves  under 
arms,  the  more  honourably  to  receive  their  new 
magistrate,  now  gave  a  triple  discharge  of  musketry. 
We  alighted  at  the  Hotel  de  Pedrilla,  where  we  had 
no  sooner  entered,  than  all  the  Superiors  of  the 
religious  orders  came  to  harangue  my  father-in-law 
in  Latin ;  who,  in  order  to  let  them  see  whom  they 
addressed,  replied  to  each  in  the  same  language,  and 
thus  gave  his  visitors  a  favourable  opinion  of  him. 
After  the  monks,  the  nobility  came  with  their  com- 
pliments, and  he  replied  in  the  tone  of  a  courtier. 

To  say  the  rest  in  a  i&w  words,  he  took  possession 
of  his  charge  ;  and  soon,  by  his  vigilance,  his  integrity, 
his  equitable  judgments,  and  his  extensive  informa- 
tion, he  made  the  inhabitants  of  Alcaraz  sensible  that 
they  had  for  Corregidor  a  man  capable  of  governing 
a  kingdom.  As  he  joined  to  his  merit  as  a  judge  all 
the  qualities  of  an  elegant  man,  he  gained,  without 
difficulty,  the  esteem  and  friendship  of  ever}  body. 

With  such  a  father-in-law  have  I  now  the  happiness 


400  THE  BACHELOR  OF  SALAMANCA. 

of  livincj,  sometimes  at  Alcaraz,  at  Don  Manoel's, 
sometimes  at  the  castle  of  Elche,  which  is  but  three 
small  leagues  distant,  and  which  we  purchased  with 
some  of  the  Mexicans'  money,  or  at  the  castle  of  Don 
Gregorio  de  Clevillente,  whose  wife  agrees  wonder- 
fully well  with  my  own,  although  they  are  sisters-in 
law. 


THE  END. 


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